Ivancea was diagnosed with cancer in 2005 and, after a short period of illness, died in October 2006. After a period of mourning, Fanfare Ciocărlia determined that they would continue playing. Balkan Gypsy music was now at the zenith of its popularity and Fanfare Ciocărlia were considered to be amongst the genre's most popular bands, their concerts attracting large audiences, while DJs played their records in clubs. Ernst and Neumann decided that an effective way of both celebrating Ivancea's life and capitalising on the public's enthusiasm for Gypsy music would be by publishing a new album. This involved getting an array of guest vocalists to sing on selected songs, with Fanfare Ciocărlia backing them. The vocalists engaged for the album were Esma Redzepova (Macedonia), Saban Bajramovic (Serbia), Kaloome (France), Ljiljana Buttler (Serbia), Jony Iliev (Bulgaria), Florentina Sandu (Romania), Dan Armeanca (Romania), and Mitsou (Hungary). The record, titled Queens and Kings, finished with "Farewell March", a funeral ballad sung by Ioan Ivancea that had been recorded by Ernst but never previously released. It also included "Born to Be Wild", Fanfare Ciocărlia's rendition of the Steppenwolf classic that the band had recorded for the soundtrack to Borat in 2006 (their music was later featured in the 2020 sequel, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm). The first concert on the Gypsy Queens & Kings tour took place in Bucharest in December 2006 and found Fanfare Ciocărlia playing Romania's capital for the first time, joined on stage by Esma Redzepova, Jony Iliev, and Mitsou. Queens and Kings was released by Asphalt Tango in 2007, and the band began touring across Europe and Australia. After more than two years on the road, Fanfare Ciocărlia took a year off to rest. Bucharest-based Gypsy band Mahala Rai Banda backed the group for the latter part of 2009 and much of 2010. Fanfare Ciocărlia won the BBC Radio 3 World Music Award for Europe in 2006. Asphalt Tango Records released Princes Amongst Men – The Soundtrack to the Book in 2008. The compilation came out to complement the German edition of Garth Cartwright's book and featured Fanfare Ciocărlia on the cover. In September 2009, Asphalt Tango simultaneously released two Fanfare Ciocărlia albums: Live, which featured the band's Berlin concert, and Best of Gypsy Brass, a compilation record. Fanfare Ciocărlia returned to the studio in early 2011, with Ernst producing on the Balkan Brass Battle sessions. This album—and subsequent concert tour—pitted Fanfare