Maestro Martin Ljubenov is one of the most unconventional accordionists of our time – virtuoso, comedian and storyteller all in one. Coming from the Roma music of the southern Balkans and the most refined ethno-jazz of Bulgaria, he creates his own musical language, a hybrid with a huge personal touch that goes beyond all the conventional clichés of “Balkan music”.
Martin Lubenov was born in 1976 in Sofia. His father, Stefan Ljubenov, is a drummer who played in circus orchestras. He studied the accordion with Angel Vangelov. Since 1996, he has been working as a musician in Switzerland, the United States, and since 2000 – in Vienna. He became famous for his ethno-jazz performances, created the folklore group “Martin Lubenov Orchestra” and the ethno-jazz group “Jazzta Prasta”.