Balkan Beats Kollektiv: February 2009

Saturday 28 February 2009

The London Gypsy Orchestra album release celebration - 29 Mar (London)

Come join the 45-piece London Gypsy Orchestra as it fills Cecil Sharp House for the Day to celebrate the launch of its first CD, Ajde Gadje, with events for everyone!

Date: 29 March
Time: 15h
Location: Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regents Park Road, London, NW1 7AY
Tickets: 0€ - 9€

Detailed info:

3PM: Family Concert- A musical spectacle from all children aged 0-99, with permission to be and behave like a child of any age - dance, sing, jump and clap along with the performance! With colourful guest dancer Cynthia Talbone

5PM: Balkan Jam and Gypsy Ceilidh Workshop- Learn Balkan Ornaments for your fingers and feet and Gypsy movements for your hips and bows. An informal workshop for all instrumentalists to join in (sheet music provided), and people of all ages and abilities are invited to learn the dances.

6PM: Musical Dinner- A musical mouthful of spiced sounds seved with baked beats - in other words a buffet accompanied by open-mic performances and guest accordianist. Please bring along tunes and songs to share with us!

8PM: Evening Concert- Our 45 members will be joined by previous members and special guest dancer Cynthia for a joyful and energetic celebratory concert.

Music from Eastern Europe and the Balkans, performed with Gypsy spirit and the force of a 35-piece orchestra. Expect fiery fiddling, vibrant strings, mandolins, accordions, voices, horns and more, in exuberant dance tunes and dramatic songs of romantic passion, strange adventures and curious moral tales!

The London Gypsy Orchestra is a London-based group of musicians from all backgrounds, who share an enthusiasm and flair for Eastern European Gypsy and folk music. Founded at the beginning of 2005 by Gundula Gruen, the LGO now performs at festivals and events, receiving an enthusiastic response from audiences.

Their repertoire includes music from Russia, Romania, Hungary, Macedonia, Bulgaria and more – ranging from popular tunes to lesser-known pieces discovered by Gundula and members of the orchestra. These tunes are crafted into artful and infectious pieces, inspiring everyone to dance or move along.

The strength of the orchestra is their live performance – it's more than music, it's a cultural journey that's a thrilling experience for both audience and performers!

Step aboard the London Gypsy Orchestra's Musical Caravan for an exhilirating journey through Eastern Europe and the Balkans!

MySpace: www.myspace.com/lond ongypsyorchestra
Official Page: www.londongypsyorchestra.co.uk

Friday 27 February 2009

Calibat - Punjabi Mandolin (New Track)

Artist: Calibat
Track name: Punjabi Mandolin
Description: A mixture of Punjabi with Gypsy music!
Listen: www.myspace.com/calibat

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Yes, you can also have your new tracks here on the blog!

Just send me a message with the name of your new track, link to your Myspace, a short description about the track and if possible a "flyer/image" (like the one above) and I'll do the rest!

Opa! ;)

Wednesday 25 February 2009

Figli di Madre Ignota - Tour video

Our friends from Italy just got back from their tour in Germany!

Watch here some footage from their tour:

Official WebSite: www.figlidimadreignota.it
MySpace: www.myspace.com/figlidimadreignota

Boom Tzigane #9 (6 Mar) @ Le Cri de la Mouette (Toulouse)

Date: 6 March
Time: 22h
Location: Le Cri de la Mouette (Toulouse)
Tickets: 5€

Lineup:
Aâlma
La Kumpania Beats

Kumpania Tzigane is an association to promote East European cultures. We organize festival, concerts, party with this influences. If your are musician, dj, artists, send your Cds and promo materials at our address.

Tuesday 24 February 2009

La Cherga - Fake No More (2008)

"Ripe, bright and tasty as stuffed peppers, LA CHERGA create 21st Century electro-roots music with a pan-Balkanic consciousness. La Cherga consist of six musicians, all from former Yugoslavia. Lead singer IRINA KARAMARKOVIC is a refugee from the Kosovo conflict while NEVENKO BUCAN, a Croat electronics wizard with a taste for dubbed out Balkan grooves, also fled the fiery nationalism that destroyed Tito's Yugoslavia. Other members come from Bosnia and Macedonia.

LA CHERGA came together in Germany and Austria as these musicians began to feel out a new musical identity, sharing what Irina calls a "Post Pessimist" philosophy, working on cultural exchange projects, differentiating between war profiteers and anti-war profiteers. LA CHERGA (named after a Balkan rag rug, appropriate for these musical recyclers) began weaving a sonic collage, inventing a Balkan internationalist music & manifesto: their sound drawing on the best of both East and West (skanking rhythms and sour horns/boiling dub versus Detroit techno) while Irina sings of freeing your mind from mental slavery.

Bringing together Balkan brass, jazz vocals, Jamaican grooves and electronic beats might sound like a musical recipe for disaster but LA CHERGA rip up the rule book and demonstrate how to build musical and cultural bridges. Grab some friends, something good to drink and turn up the music: LA CHERGA create radical unity party music.

Released by Asphalt Tango Records, 2008"

Track List:

1. Cooking Dub
2. Fake No More
3. Ciganka
4. Don't Go This Way
5. Lajka
6. Muki's Pub
7. Rembetiko 22
8. Trouble Dub
9. Wedding Song
10. What A Wunderful Life
11. Down Domination Part 1 & 2

MySpace: www.myspace.com/lacherga
Buy CD: www.asphalt-tango-shop.de

Monday 23 February 2009

!DelaDap & DJ Panko @ OST-Klub - Austria (6 Mar)

Date: 6 March
Time: 22h
Location: Ost-Klub (Vienna)
Tickets: 8€ - 10€

Lineup:
!Deladap
DJ Panko (from Ojos de Brujo)
DJ Vana

!Deladap: "It started in 2001 as a project idea in the studio of the Prague born producer Stani Vana, then developed first into a trio and later into a seven member live ensemble. By now !DelaDap turns more and more into a creativity platform for Gypsy rooted, Central-European world sound.

Both on stage and in the studio, !DelaDap has been known for their collaboration with some of the most brilliant musicians in the field. Among those are: the Russian "gipsy queen" Leonsia Erdenko who is known for her work with the Russian Gypsy group Loyko and her trio, Jony Iliev - a brilliant singer from Bulgaria known for his work with his own band and Fanfare Ciocarlia, a Rumanian cimbalom virtuoso Vasile Nedea also known for his work with OMFO, a Russian – Austrian band Russkaja, brilliant accordion virtuosos Martin Lubenov from Bulgaria and Mitke Sarlandziev from Macedonia, Czech rooted producer and saxophonist Philip Noha (NOHA, Frank Pop Ensemble), 17 Hippies, DJ Gaetano Fabri and many more…"

Friday 20 February 2009

Balkanology: Balkan Beats in South Africa!

Thought you could only listen Balkan music in Europe!?
Guess what: You're wrong!

Balkanology is a Cape Town (South Africa) based collective presenting the madness of Balkan and Gypsy music to Africa!
They throw massive manic parties where DJ’s and musicians perform a fusion of Gypsy, Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian and Romanian melodies. It's the biggest Balkan party in South Africa. It's the only Balkan party in South Africa.
That's the transbalkan connection in showing itself!

The Balkanology parties, with Dj Toby2shoes, started in Cape Town as small, occasional electro-Balkan-gypsy dances. In the two years since their inception, they have gathered a following of thousands (the last party in April saw two and a half thousand tickets sold). Capetonians love a celebration and these parties fit in perfectly with their love of eccentricity - styled as Eastern European gypsy camps with caravans, bales of hay, tents with tarot and palm-readers, goats, chickens and pigs, Balkanology is an opportunity to dress up and go wild.

The music, however, is what really drives the revelry. Traditional Balkan gypsy folk mixed with electronic beats is the simplest description, and the result is irresistible, compulsive celebration music. "A wild, heaving mass" is how the BBC's Garth Cartwright described German audiences' reaction when DJ Shantel began adding Balkan Brass breaks to his techno set back in the late 90’s. Since then, the electro-Balkan scene has exploded. DJ Toby2shoes, a pioneer of alternative music in general in South Africa, has become the ambassador for Balkan-gypsy-folk.

Balkanology Vol.1
Compiled by Toby2sho

Toby2sho choice of tracks for the Balkanology album consolidates his reputation as a highly skilled, innovative Dj in general, and for this music in particular. The 14-track compilation includes many of the most popular names in the genre – DJ Click, Balkan Beat Box, !Deladap, Kocani Orkestar - and three tracks mixed by DJ Shantel, who won a BBC World Music Award for clubbing music in 2006.

Toby2sho MySpace: www.myspace.com/toby2shoes
Buy Album: www.cdbaby.com

Tracklist:

1 Rona Hartner and DJ Click: Uhai Bade Tzuca-Ma
2 Dunkelbunt (Fanfare Ciocarlian & Dunkelbunt): Asfalt Tango
3 KAL: Komedija
4 Balkan Beat Box: Sunday Arak
5 Rootsman: Ta Travudia
6 DJ Click vs Mahala Rai Banda: Romano Dance
7 Gaetano Fabri vs Kocani Orkestar: Siki Siki Baba
8 Senor Coconut vs Kocani Orkestar: Usti Usti Baba
9 Shantel: Disko (Friends of Boban Mix)
10 Amsterdam Klezmer Band: Sagadoro Hot Dub (Shantel Remix)
11 Eastenders: Vino Iuberia Mea (!DelaDap remix)
12 Shantel feat. Boban Markovic Orkestar & Todor 'Tosa' Vukmirovic:
13 !Deladap feat. the Voice & Musicians of the 17 Hippies: Lautlos
14 Kolo Novo Movie Band: Bolujemja

Official site: www.balkanology.co.za
MySpace: www.myspace.com/balkanology

Wednesday 18 February 2009

Russendisko - Ukraine do Amerika (2008)

"Author and journalist Wladimir Kaminer from Moscow and DJ Yuriy Gurzhy from the Ukraine immigrated to Berlin in the 1990s; they burst on the Berlin nightclub scene with their first Russendisko in 1999. What started as a party became an international hit and created a lively interest in Eastern European music. Russendisko combines Russian songs with a powerful bass beat that draws all to the dance floor. It is akin to a mix of ska played on the accordion, or grunge with a reggae riff thrown in. And most of the singers sound like Frank Sinatra with a three-day hangover and a 60-cigarettes-a-day habit. "Weird, unpolished and sometimes awful-sounding music which is, in the end, really good to dance to," boast the sleeve notes of their CD. None of it is subtle. All of it is loud. Most of it is catchy. And everyone dances pretty much all the time." - The Guardian

Tracklist:

01. Mandry - Kolo Mlinu (3:09)
02. Perkalaba - Boogay (2:34)
03. Svoboda - Marusya (2:35)
04. Mad Heads XL - Smereka (3:04)
05. Yurcash - Patriot (3:01)
06. Konsonans Retro - Kurka Chubaturka (3:20)
07. Chornobryvtsy - Nese Gal'a Vodu (3:35)
08. Mad Heads XL - Ya Na Mori (3:45)
09. Konsonans Retro - Freylekhs No.5 (3:01)
10. Mandry - Kohanochka (4:29)
11. Rotfront - Ya Piv (3:48)
12. Perkalaba - Char Dash (2:47)
13. VV - Gal'u, Prihod' (2:20)
14. Vasya Club - Oy Vey (2:49)
15. Golem - Odessa (2:30)

Official Website: www.russendisko.de
MySpace: www.myspace.com/russendiskoberlin
Buy Album: www.amazon.com

Tuesday 17 February 2009

"Le feu dans le sang" - Rio Loco Festival (Online Documentary)

"Le feu dans le sang" it's a documentary by Elsa Dahmani filmed during the Rio Loco Festival 2008 in Toulouse. With special appearence by some of the greatest artists of balkan music: Esma Redzepova, Boban Markovic, Taraf de Haïdouk, Balkan Beat Box, Emir Kusturica, Shantel, Dj Click and more!
Now you can watch the full documentary online @ Balkan Beats Kollektiv!
The subtitles are in french but some parts the audio is in english. It's worth to watch it!

(To watch in Full Screen: MENU>FULL SCREEN)

Hosted by: www.mondomix.com

Monday 16 February 2009

Goran Bregovic on Mondomix Magazine

This month Mondomix Magazine focus on Goran Bregovic work! Exclusive interview!

You can read and download the magazine here: (FRENCH) http://mondomix.com/en/mondomix_papier.php

Goran Bregovic - Jeremija

MySpace: www.myspace.com/goranbrego1

Special: Max Pashm!

Max Pashm

"An intense journey trought Balkan Music and Electronics!" - Balkan Beats Kollektiv

“The ‘King of Falafel Techno’ leads a Jewish/Greek/Balkan collective in maximum mashed-up electronic beats and melodies from different traditions around the world.” - The Guardian Guide

“Blistering Balkan beats and general nu-world trippiness from the highly danceable grooves of Max Pashm.” - Time Out

“Sun-blushed, bouzouki-fuelled Med mix-up.” - fRoots

Max Pashm first rose to fame in 1997 as one of the early pioneers of world fusion music, before the Balkan sound became omnipresent in Global Beats and World Music circles.

The ‘Max Pashm’ sound is a unique blend of Klezmer, Balkan, Greek, Gypsy Punk with blistering electronic beats. A daring and perfect marriage fusing the old traditions with the new and cutting edge sounds of today and the future.

The ‘Max Pashm Band’ is a collective of some of the finest UK based Jewish, Greek and Balkan musicians, including the bouzouki maestro George Kypreos, the imfamous Merlin Shepherd on Klezmer clarinet, Bulgarian singer Eugenia Georgieva, guitarist Rik Harrington and of course Max Pashm himself on vocals, percussion and electronics.

After the release of the new ‘Max Pashm’ album ‘Never mind the Balkans’, the ‘Max Pashm Band’ have performed over 40 shows in 12 different countries in 2008.

The live shows are a high energy experience, combining top musicianship with pulsing electronics and an underlying sense of humour and fun!
As well as all the traditional influences, the shows contain flavours of Dub, Ska, Hip-Hop, Rock and Punk, blending many genres and styles to create a unique sound and performance, with lyrics in Greek, Bulgarian, Yiddish and English.

Get to the end of the ‘Max Pashm Band’ show and you might just agree: ‘Never Mind The Balkans - Here’s Max Pashm’.

MySpace: www.myspace.com/maxpashm

Shop: www.maxpashm.dloadshop.com

Sunday 15 February 2009

K A L - Radio Romanista (New Album)

They have the trilbies, baggy suits, accordions and fiddles of traditional gypsy bands, but this Serbian outfit also like Fender guitars and beatbox. Taking the Clash as a role model, their charismatic frontman Dragan Ristic describes their sound as "Rock'n'Roma", and their runaway rhythms and lightning-fast playing come fronted by angry lyrics about the marginalisation of Roma people. This second album, more raw-edged than 2006's debut, reflects their live show, swinging between high-energy pieces like Turkish Blues and sentimental cabaret excursions Laj laj and Luna. There are numerous guests, lashings of vocal scats and an irrepressible sense of a band on top of its mission. - The Observer

Tracklist:

01 - Krasnokalipsa (Feat. Marcel [02:42]
02 - Ding Deng Dong [02:53]
03 - Turkish Blues [03:04]
04 - Laj Laj [03:56]
05 - Pour Enfants Et Personnes S [03:16]
06 - Romozom [03:10]
07 - Chiquita [03:15]
08 - Oh Ma Cherie [03:45]
09 - Madame Boucxereaux [02:57]
10 - Liza [03:19]
11 - I'm Gypsy [02:23]
12 - Pelo IV [03:31]
13 - Radio Romanista [02:40]
14 - Luna [03:45]

MySpace: www.myspace.com/romakal
Buy CD: www.asphalt-tango-shop.de

Thursday 12 February 2009

Gogol Bordello - Optimus Alive (2008) (FULL CONCERT VIDEO)

We have the full video of the Gogol Bordello concert in Optimus Alive (2008) - Portugal.

Length: 1 hour 18 minutes
Size: 854 MB

Download: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Q9MCYI5A

Preview:

Enjoy! =)

Wednesday 11 February 2009

Balkan Beats London @ Passing Clouds 28 Feb (Concert)

Date: 28 Feb
Time: 21.00h
Venue: Passing Clounds, 3 richmond Rd.E8 3HY off Kingsland Road, Dalston
Tickets: 5£ (before 11 PM) 7£ (after)

Lineup:

Alejandro Toledo and the Magic Tombolinos
Forty Thieves Orkestar
Robert Soko
DJ Malaka

"Calling all lovers of Gypsy, Klezmer, Balkan, Roma, Tzigan, Russian Ska, Serbian Breakz, Kroatijan Turbo Folk and generally an all-rounder night of east European Music, Oriental flavors and gypsy dance!! Bringing DJs and Bands of any nationality and spirit straight to the best London underground Venue open till the Last one will Dance (and Stand...) THIS IS THE NEW BIG BALKAN NIGHT TO BE IN LONDON!! Restarting from the 28th of February 2009!!!! BIG, STOMPY, BOUNCY,TYPSY, HAPPY, GYPSY and MESSY!!! Straight From the Holy Altar of Balkan Beats Berlin, with the Blessing of the Fabulous ROBERT SOKO and the pyrotechnic DJ MALAKA!! joining and supporting all the rest of Balkan Beats nights all Over Europe!!! OOOOPAAH!"

MySpace: www.myspace.com/balkanbeatslondon

TUMMEL @ Club Zigana 12 Feb (Concert)

Date: 12 February 2009
Time: 7.30pm live from 9pm until late
Venue: 32 OLD BAILEY, BLACKFRIARS, 32 Old Bailey is between Blackfriars and St Paul' s EC4M 7HS
Tickets: £8 available on www.wegottickets.com

TUMMEL is a 7-piece band based in Malmö, Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark. Right from the start in 1997 they won the hearts of both folk and rock audiences, and has since attracted a growing number of fans across Sweden, Denmark, the UK, Italy, Slovenia and Estonia.

“Tummel” is the sound that arises from a totally unrestrained party. “Ein Tumler“ is a guy hired by the host of the party to keep the partying frenzy up, whatever the cost!!

MySpace: www.myspace.com/tummelmusic

Tuesday 10 February 2009

Roy Paci, Frank London & Boban Markovic Orkestar!!!

Have you ever imagined Roy Paci, Frank London & Boban Markovic Orkestar on the same stage?
Well that's possible now!

"This is a "Trumpet Triumph" featuring the hottest trumpets in the world music.

They are the volcanic Sicilian trumpeter Roy Paci, the eclectic klezmer musician Frank London (Grammy Award winner in 2007) and the King of the Balkans, Boban Markovic, together with his court, the Orkestar.

The greatest classics of tradition from Sicily, Jewish melodies carved in history and Serbian upbeat dances are combined, sweeping the feet away. The arrangements are made in a spirit of pure inspiration by the trio, and made unique in the hands of the Markovic Orkester.

The result? Driving brass and killer rhythms, non-stop noise, frenzied dances, with three trumpets unlike anything else. The verve of Roy, the class of Frank, the power of Boban, all packed onto one stage. Roy Paci bounces from Aretuska’s ska to Manu Chao’s patchanka, all the way to Banda Ionica’s popular marches; Frank London with his klezmer music, spanning its new wave with The Klezmatics and its noisy side with Frank London Klezmer Brass All Stars. And then Boban Marcovic, together with his son Marko, adding his true musical genius, giving everything into the hands of his fanfara, his unique Orkester.

This is a Trumpet Triumph. Truly, a unique experience of the instrument; its power, its inspiration and its fun!"

MySpace: www.myspace.com/trumpettriumph

On stage:

Roy Paci - trumpet, vocal
Frank London - trumpet
Boban Markovic - trumpet, vocal
Marko Markovic - trumpet, vocal
Sasa Jemcic - trumpet
Srdjan Spasic - trumpet
Dragan Kocic - trumpet
Dragoljub Eminovic - tenor horn
Isidor Eminovic - tenor horn
Asim Ajdinovic - tenor horn
Goran Spasic - tenor horn
Mustafa Salimovic - helicon
Sasa Stanojevic - percussion
Aleksandar Stosic - percussion
Nedzat Zumberovic - big drum
Jah Sazzah - drums
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Upcoming Shows:

22 Mar 2009