Ogneni Momchinja remember Ilmi Mustafov — “there will be an invisible place for you”
Band members say Ilmi’s presence remains in every performance and promise “an invisible place” for him at their shows three years after his death.
Three years on, Ogneni Momchinja pay tribute to Ilmi Mustafov with emotional message
Band members say Ilmi’s presence remains in every performance and promise “an invisible place” for him at their shows three years after his death.
The members of Ogneni Momchinja published a heartfelt post on their official Facebook page marking three years since the death of saxophonist and clarinetist Ilmi Mustafov. In their message the musicians described the bond they shared with Ilmi and the lasting imprint of his music on the group.
Ilmi Mustafov, a long-time pillar of the band, died in August 2023 — only three months after the death of his father, the celebrated Romani music master Ferus Mustafov, who passed away in May 2023 following a stroke and three weeks in a coma.
In the band’s statement they wrote that words fall short when the heart aches and that they still wish they could turn back time. “When we play, a part of us plays for you,” they wrote, adding that the fire he ignited in them continues to burn.
Memory on stage and the next generation
Ogneni Momchinja vowed that “there will be an invisible place for you at every performance, and in every song there will be a part of the memory of our brother.” The post moved many followers across North Macedonia and renewed public reflection on the double family tragedy that struck the Mustafov family in 2023.
Singer Suzana Gavazova recalled seeing Ilmi crying at their last shared concert in Debar, believing he mourned his father — unaware that Ilmi himself would die only weeks later. Ilmi was widely regarded as one of the country’s most talented saxophonists and clarinetists, leaving behind numerous well-known oros and choches.
Musical tradition continues through Ilmi’s son, Fercho Mustafov, who has been performing across the Balkans and sharing stages with well-known artists such as Adil and Jana Todorovic, carrying the family legacy forward.
Photo: press material from the event
