 
Gypsy Music…
The romani music, gypsy or “romska
muzika” as they call it in the region of Alen Ademovic, is the music
that remains from the passage of the gypsy soul through the different European countries and that even extends to America.
There exists a lot of information in Internet on this matter, for this reason I do not want to get involved in a deep explanation.
What I want to give is a general vision and share some interesting names and sites to take a look in the universe of this
musical tendency. It’s impossible to hear gypsy music and avoid bristling hair. This music is a vital liquid that like
a river is fused into local music; this tribe of special people has also been moving among the world geography. Their influences
are many, most well-known and traditional like: the local folklore, the Klezmer music (of Jewish origin) and the sounds of
the Middle East with Muslim and Moor tones. They have arrived at jazz sophistications which
sound wonderful, with rock, funk and pop mixtures which are kind of electrizing. Nevertheless, the origin of the romani music,
which is their seal, is that it has been the music for the humble and ethnically persecuted people. I suggest you see "The
Train of the Life" film (Radu Mihaileanu) that describes
the injustices to prejudice or fanaticisms, and where
Goran Bregovic made the sound track. The fact that today the romani music is listened in the main capitals of the world, there’re
mega-events of extraordinary calling and be a point of cultural importance, is a deserved recognition to such origin.
Musicians of this
true “brand”, the romani music, are nowadays disputed among independent disk seals like Piranha,
Crammed Disk, Enja, World Connection and Asphalt Tango. We can have access to authentic gypsy musicians
in the stores of most commercial capitals of the world (thanks to the World Music movement, which is an interesting product
of globalization). We can also find musicians who emigrated from East Europe to cities like San Francisco,
New York or Paris (where
Bregovic lives). There are other audacious musicians who, without having a drop of Calé blood, have developed musical experiences
of amalgamated daring sounds. They are ready and available for us so that we can meet them and
enjoy the joy and strength of the gypsy music.
Bubamara de Chile
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ALEN ADEMOVIC LA NUEVA VOZ DE LOS BALCANES
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Gypsy Music
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Short review with interesting
data so that you know more on this music, with a more determined approach towards the Balkan tendency. Though gypsy musicians
of other tendencies are named honoring their origin, it is my objective and personal selection showing the bulk of the tendency.
Unfortunately, there are many others not named.
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Ivo Papasov
Bulgarian highly skilled clarinet-player who belongs to the crossover of the ethno
and jazz scenario of the early ‘90s. Frank Zappa declared himself as one of his fans. Bulgarian music is some aggressive
but in Ivo’s hands it becomes docile without losing its force. Premium.
Video
Ljiljana Buttler
The Bosnian singer Liljana Butler is considered as the greatest East European voice
and is also well-known as the "Ella Fitzgerald gipsy". She performed the disc, "Mother of the Gipsy Soul" which is incredible,
as they said. You just have to watch the videos. Without words
Video 1
Video 2
Camarón de la Isla
He comes from another
gypsy tendency, native of Spain but as
a gypsy who is very proud of his heritage we must name him here. This South European music moves away from the gypsies of
the East zone because the Moors and Flamenco sounds dominate over any other influence.
Video 1
Šaban Bajramović
He is considered a legend within the gypsy
music. This man is perceived as a genius as far as his singing style, his technique and his diction. Disc, "A Gypsy Legend"
(World Connections, 2001). He worked with Goran Bregovic, together they are like fire.
Video 1
Video2, beautiful images of the gypsy life
Esma Redžepova
This singer is endowed
with a special sensuality, she’s considered responsible of having inserted the gypsy culture in the conscience of a
new nation, as socialist Yugoslavia was
in the ‘50s. Disc, "Čaje šukarije " (World Connections, 2001). Her songs remind me the kind of music I enjoyed
when I was there. Very popular, excellent.
Video 1
Video 2
Taraf de Haidouks
This band is absolutely
the music-players champion. Its ability is in the fluidity and lightness that penetrates like a light beam. They jumped from
being an anonymous familiar orchestra of Bucharest in Rumania,
where they were denied and not valued, until they reached the Carnegie Hall in New
York and gained the BBC World Music Awards, it’s something similar to the Oscar for the ethno
music. One of their manifested fans is Johnny Deep. Nobody is a prophet in its land.
Video 1
Video 2
Fanfare Ciocarlia
The fastest orchestra
of the East arrives from the border between Rumania and Moldavia. It’s one of the first bands with "mediatic
conscience". This can be appreciated in a disc performed with many resources, "The Story Of the Band" (Asphalt Tango, 2004).
Video, highly Latin. In the middle there’s a theme with Esma Redzepova
Ferus Mustafov :
Macedonian sax and clarinet player. Named as "King Ferus", his disc "Macedonian Wedding" is considered
the first conceptual work of romani music.
Video ,here you can appreciate the dance kolo which is
tippical in Serbia
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Slavic Soul Party
They define themselves as a "balkansoulgipsysfunk" band, . Originated in the scene of New York, this band gathers an excellent selection of
jazz musicians who also jumped into the turbulent tendency of the Balkan and romani music. I just love their music. There
are other groups following this tendency, like Rektango and Golem, but we do not have any data of them.
Official site of Salvic Soul Party, you can listen a lot of music here
Video 1
KAL
:
This Serbian band displayed their
first album for a musical seal company specialized in Balkan music, Asphalt Tango. Formed with two accordions, guitar, contrabass
and battery, they submerged us into the night of Belgrade,
with a different proposal by their ample rock, blues and urban culture influence. Too good for the short time I heard them.
I like that urban touch they have.
Video 1
Video 2
Vaya con Dios:
Group of Belgian musicians specialized
in hard jazz-soul. They are known since the ‘80s but they have also toured into the folk and gypsy music. Dani Klein,
its vocalist, is simply fascinating. She does a free pathetism interpretation of the gypsy soul, though its something that
distinguishes this music from others, she is successful in maintaining this nexus with her very own vision. Here you have
a video of a well-known song sung by her, and the counterpart of a gypsy version where the "pathetism" I mentioned is appraised.
When I visited Yugoslavia years ago, I
saw some men breaking glasses in ecstasy against their forehead (as shown in the video) due to love grieve, in a tavern where
gypsy music was played. I saw it with my own eyes.
Video 1, Dani Klein playing jazz according to gypsy style
Video 2,dramatic gypsy scene version
Goran Bregovic & "The Weddings and Funerals Orchestra":
It doesn’t need much information.
In any case, for more details click here. He’s one of the favorites and best known in the West. He’s considered responsible for having popularized
and influenced this kind of music in the West. He does a mix that’s understandable and it’s easily digested without
losing its main essence. Our Alen Ademovic has been playing with him over the last three years. I’m with
them unconditionally
Video 1 , Marriage
Video 2, Maki -Maki with young Alen in his begginings with Goran
Emir Kusturica & " The No Smocking Orchestra":
He’s a “heavy
weight” in cinema and creation. Thanks to him and to his wonderful films where they always go around the gypsy world,
with incredible reality transformations, it’s that many of us had that initial contact and nowadays can hear the Balkan
music. He is personally and physically very strong as well as he is being a Director and musician. A crack. My respects and
admiration.
Video 1, Bubamara, my song
Video 2, Pitbull Terrier
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