Born in Bitola, a Mediterranean flavored city in North Macedonia, now is a leading artist, jazz guitarist and composer on the Balkan jazz and world-music scene. Popovski has created and developed new musical expressions bringing the oriental sounds through mystical language. He has worked with many well-known jazz artists like Toni Kitanovski, Oscar Salas, Milcho Leviev, Dave Wilson and Goce Micanov.
He is currently Head of Jazz department at the Goce Delchev University in Stip. Since 2011, he has been working on informal education and workshops for young people through the Jazz Factory project with annual editions in cooperation with cultural organizations and jazz festivals in North Macedonia.
Sašo Popovski has recorded six studio albums as leader, also contributed on eight albums as side musician, many solo compositions, also composed music for theater, short movies and video games.
His latest release Steps Art Melodies 2023 (France) is a seven-track multi-cultural music of pure lines, exotic motifs, concluded structures and lush imagination. Rhythmically and also melodically, his music alludes to oriental patterns, which makes it a bit mystical. He organizes his compositions around beautifully derived, clear, appealing melodic lines.
Album “Steps” won 5 stars review from Paris Move (FR) and 4 stars review from All About Jazz (USA), and was album of the week in Macedonia, Spain, Poland, Italy and Serbia, featured on more than 100 digital playlists across Europe, USA and Japan.
“Fallen Land is an album in which we can find the best of the soul of the Balkans and Popovski finds a more central dimension that best highlights its compositional and executive skills. The rhythms and harmonic lines know no boundaries. Balkan jazz has a modern soul.” – Mario Ferraioli Jazz In Family Italy.
In 2021, the album Fallen Land finished first on the regional jazz scene of HRT Croatia’s Jazzolovka show and was the album of the week in Bulgaria, Serbia, Poland and Macedonia.
