Who is Branko?
I am Faith, half of www.faithibranko.com. A lot of you reading this will probably know Serbian Romani violinist Branko, who is described by BBC Radio 3 as 'a performer that Paganini would be proud of'. His artistic achievements are so significant to the Romani community, that he has a statue made after him in Pranjanje, Serbia - and was given the title of Romani Ambassador of Serbia's No. 1 Violinist Festival. Programmes about him have reached one million social media views, and people know and respect him for his inspirational journey 'from poverty to success': teaching himself as a teenager by ear to play on a 50 euro violin in his village - to becoming a significant world music composer and performer. Coming from a traumatic upbringing, his single ambition has always been to use his violin and his music to help others. This story sounds perfectly romantic, but the part that most people don't know is that right now, in order for him to carry on living in the very short term - and hopefully to continue to have a successful life in the long term - he urgently needs other people's help.
Here is a documentary on Serbian TV about his life, filmed 3 years ago; here is one of hundreds of original compositions that he has written, being performed at WOMAD UK, and recorded on site 12 months ago by BBC Radio 3. He wrote a lot of the music on our last album with Riverboat Records, which reached fifth place in the World Music Charts - such as the solo electric violin composition Duhovi. Duhovi means 'spirits', and for Branko, speaks about his connection to the spirit world and the souls he has loved who have now disappeared to that world. His composition 'Cekajuci Stribor' features on the Rough Guide to World Jazz, and a documentary about his life story had its World Premier at Aljareera Documentary Festival in Sarajevo - for which you can watch the trailer here. You can read more about him in these articles and watch a one hour musical programme written by him and streamed for Oxford World Music series here. Branko has taught at SOAS, University of London, toured Australia twice, and performed on multiple BBC and ABC Australia programmes.
Why am I doing a crowdfunder
Branko tried to take his own life in December, 2023 in the house we built next to his family home in the village of Gornja Grabovica, Serbia. Upon failing, he was sectioned in a Psychiatric Hospital in Valjevo, Serbia. It was not possible to contact him whilst he was inside the institute as he wasn't allowed a telephone, and when he was released and I saw him - the Branko who I knew, wasn't there anymore. His physical appearance alone was enough to bring tears, and he had for the first time mentally retreated somewhere where no one could reach him - coupled with a huge fear of 'not taking his medication on time' and being therefore sectioned again. Branko told me what he experienced inside the hospital, and let's just say that it wasn't an experience that could lead to any form of healing. Since September 2023 he hasn't played his violin, and his mental state has rapidly deteriorated, whether this is due to a suicidal reaction to prescription medication (xanax + diazepam + schizophrenic and bi-polar medication) or to other personal life factors, an acute occurrence of PTSD, or a shift in the type of mental illness as he grows older. In the 15 years that I have known him, he has had mental struggles: some of these have opened doors in his mind to create ideas and art, and some of these have dragged him into dark places.
On the 21st July (a week ago) he attempted to take his life again. Doctors and friends will attest that this was not a cry for help, but a firm wish to end his life. The reason he didn't die is because they caught him before he had lost too much blood, and he just missed the major artery on his neck; I have seen him - and his neck and wrists have been severely cut up after injecting a 2 month supply of insulin. He was taken by the police and stitched back together for three days, and sectioned again. He is there now, and 'sectioning' in this institute does not involve a private room, therapy, and gentle healing. One thing it does involve is being administered drugs and sedated in order to try to try to stop it happening again. I wish no disrespect to Serbians who may take offence at a me publicly describing their system in such a negative way, and there are many many things I deeply love and respect about this country: but I would also be the first to say what a mess the UK NH* menta* health system is in, with waiting lists for high risk cases of months and months.
The view of everyone I have spoken to who are close to him, is that when he leaves - unless there is a radical intervention - he will make sure that he succeeds in what he didn't manage to do this time. He has also been clear about this to a visitor who was allowed to see him, and he is currently refusing food.
To be clear about the situation: we have not played any concerts (our sole source of income) since September 2023 - and I do not currently have any financial means to be able to do anything. I have a 5 month year old baby, and I myself previously suffered from burnout from being his sole support for many years. The process of stabilization, therapy and medication for someone like Branko is long and difficult (he has been given a variety of diagnosis from Schizophrenia, to Bi-Polar, to childhood PTSD) and there would be moments in which a certain medication seemed to work - and he would finally experience some peace; but often they would also interact badly with his type 1 diabetes. I also did my best to hide the situation, and to cover for him, in order that our professional career could flourish and we could continue to have an income as artists in London and grow in a difficult world music market. I am finally turning to the outside community who know and respect him without knowing the reality of his situation - to support him. Branko is very far from being the easiest person in the world, nor easy to work with as a lot of people know; it is not up to me in the end to know what will happen, but I believe that a lot of people have love and respect him, and I don't believe that he should die in these circumstances.
What I am asking for
I am crowdfunding for immediate financial help to take him away from the cliff edge he is on right now. This will involve him leaving the institute where he is now sectioned, and being taken to a good private residential mental health care facility. I am asking for funds to pay for a minimum of two months of quality care, in order that the root cause of his suffering can be looked at properly for the first time - and his medication can be adjusted under support and observation. Combined with the types of talking or holistic therapy that he needs in order to find a level of stability, and take him out of the high risk zone he is now in. I am also asking for a small amount of this money to be given to his aunt, who previously relied on Branko for some support. Branko does not have any other family members to support him.