GJ REPORT: MUSICA EXOTICA A SEVILLA

Womex or World music expo is one big melting pot of musicians, festival organisers, labels, promoters, DJ's, journalist, well more or less everybody in the world music business. And we would not be good jungle gypsies, if we didn't check it out ourselves. Or at least use it as an excuse for visiting beautiful Sevilla.

The oppening night was flamenco flavoured, with Ultra High Flamenco and Miguel Poveda performing. Even the DJ session was flamenco flavoured with Los Rumbers, an excellent DJ duo from Cadiz, accompanied with a temperamental flamenco dancer.

The second day brought more exotica to the place with the day showcases of music from Azerbajdzan and China.

Zabit Nabizade Trio is basicaly three guys (waw, you couldn't figure that out from the name....to much of cerveza yesterday) playing a drum and two string instruments, with aditional singing of course. Their music was of epic proportions, so they only played four songs during the one hour concert. Certainly very exotic, maybe a bit to much even....

On the other hand Liu Pang, who plays chinese classical music, was a pleasant surprise.

Chinese classical music was something very intimate in the past, and wasn't even allowed to perform in public till the 1950's. That is the reason lots of modern Chinese themselves don't know about it. It is played on a pipa (chinese lute) and guzheng (chinese sittar). Only a few masters play it, and Liu Fang is one of them. What's very interesting about her is, she has taken her music one step beyond with different colaborations with western musicians or with playing music from other countries, such as Astor Piazzolla tangos.

The intimacy of the music is obvious all the time. Liu looked as she would cuddle and whisper to her lute and as the instrument would answer. But intimacy apart, it is surprisingly lively and interesting. She makes whole lot of noise with one instrument. Very nice noise of course. We suspect she is actualy a rocker by heart...

Sooo, these were just two of the day-time concert, with lots of them to come in the evening...With great bands such as Kalman Balogh Gypsy Cimbalon Trio, Cimarron, Eneida Marta, Fatima Spar And The Freedom Fries and manny others.

To be honest we missed most of them. But with a good reason. We went to check another, non Womex related band, Kumar. And it was one energetical musical explosion. Will explain more soon.... As well as report from the Magnifico concert, that will take place here in Sevilla tonight.

Hasta luego amigos!

GJ REPORT: A TOUCH OF ORIENT

A few days ago, Zlati zob was shaking it Oriental style. First 'officially'... Pascale Goubert, Alja Shaar, Sultan's dancers and the group Eastern fairy tail enchanted the audience, who soon followed them to the dancefloor.
It was very nice to see people taking their shoes off, throwing off the jackets and sweaters, and just dancing. Not knowing the steps, but not minding about it. What can we say, but mission accomplished!
Enough said....For more picturesque representation, just check out the pictures below.


Photo by Mateja Šoba Kosič

NEW PATIENT: DJ TITO

electro gipsy, world music, chillout

Gipsy Jungle is proud to welcome a new member. Well, in fact he was not a complete stranger untill now either, we just want to present him to you in greater detail...
We could easily describe DJ Tito as young and talented. He has been playing music from early age, when he first tested his DJ abilities on School dances.
Soon, he went abroad. He was a regular guest at Forbiden Fruits Of Civil Society Festival, which took him to Netherlands, Check Republic and Croatia.
His debut appearance in front of the local audience came a bit later. In fact only a couple of years ago. Since then you can regulary see and hear him DJ-ing in local Ljubljana clubs like Gromka, Yalla Yalla, ethno club Zlati zob, Menza pri Koritu and also some big international festivals such as Festival Lent and Trnfest. He shared a stage with masters like Ferus Mustafov and Yousun N'dour.
In his younger age he also persued a career of musician himself. He was into hip hop for some time and these days he is the head of MCLaren and the Digital adventure group. The result of this colaboration is a (for now local) hit Ciganin sam, which will surely warm up the hearts and feets of the audience around Europe.
Tito is also a selector and organiser of Slovene edition of FRoots festival.
His sets vary from one to another, but one is sure. Whether it is a urban Gipsy music, spiced up with electronics, a mixture of different World music sounds (Flamenco, Brasilian music, African or Arabian sounds) or a soothing chillout set, he will make you wanna dance. No matter which set you listen to, you can be sure to hear all the novelties from the World music scene. The fact, that he owns the first World music shop in Slovene capital has probably something to do with his expertise. If you find yourself in Ljubljana, make sure to check out Koromandija shop on the banks on Ljubljanica river!
Since Tito is not only hyper-talented but also hyper-active, you might often meet him on some concert with his camera in his hand, when he is capturing the action on stage for the RSQ MAG.
Tito, very, very welcome!

www.myspace.com/koromandija

LISTEN

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

The picture of September is finnaly here. It is a Fanfara Complexa concert picture taken by the winner Ana Duša.
The concert took place in Zlati zob and it was a Moldavian dancing music explosion.
The guys actually come from Hungary, so of course, the logical question was, why do they play Moldavian music. But they've explained, that there is quite a big Hungarian community living in Moldavia, and the band's drummer Felix Benke is a member of it. He introduced this kind of music to his friends, when he moved to Budapest, and they obviously got hooked. We don't blame them. On the contrary, we're very happy for them, since they really made our day, well evening in Zlati zob.
Congratulations to Ana, and a messagge to everybody else...Don't forget to party, take pics and send them to: photo@gipsyjungle.com. See you around!

BREAK THE FUCKING BEAT N#5

GJ REPORT: GIPSYJUNGLE HIT SUBSUB

Disaster struck last night at a trendy Ljubljana night club.

The exact details have yet to be confirmed, however eyewitness reports from those at Sub Sub on Friday night paint a startling picture. Partygoers had gathered to see DJ Tito, Shazalakazoo, and W.G. Well (My Hell Jackson). Information gathered by Gipsy Jungle has yet to pinpoint the exact circumstances, however at some time during the show it is believed a "highly infectious outbreak" began to spread through the facility, according to one unnamed source. Authorities attribute the outbreak to, what they refer to, as "potent and extremely contageous grooves."

From outside Sub Sub, as throngs of HAZMAT-clad emergency responders gathered, the seriousness of the outbreak was evident. Scores of the infected, dancing uncontrolably, refused medical assistance. "I'm not sure when it began, but at some point my vertabrae started bouncing uncontrolably" says Tjasa, one of the infected. "I had no idea my body could move like this" she added.

Another victim excitedly claimed, "…I can feel from my head to my toes… and I like it! …I think my spleen is smiling." Symptoms seemed to be the inability to hold still, tendency to smile, and an overwheling urge to hit the dancefloor. Nearly all those in Sub Sub claimed to be entirely transfixed on the beats that pumped from the stage.

Charges have not been laid against Tito, Shazalakazoo, or Mr. Wells, whom police say are responsible for the outbreak.

Reported by Graham Dickson

Photos by Tjasulja

GIPSY JUNGLE HITS SUB SUB

This time we bring gipsy and jungle beats to a new location. DJ Tito, Shazalakazoo and W.G. (My Hell Jackson) are gonna turn Sub Sub upside down. Tito will hit you with electrified gipsy music for warm-up, Shazalakazoo will do their balkan breakz thing, and W. G. will make us dance till dawn with his cool as ever gipsy set.
If you are a serious balkan breakz fan, you better don't miss this one! Majke mi!

http://www.myspace.com/shazalakazoo

Friday, 10.10. SUB SUB, 21:00

VAMOS A BAILAR

With the cold of the Fall creeping into our daily lives, we need some temperamental rhythms to keep us warm, and what a better way to do it, than on the dancefloor with sounds of flamenco, salsa, cumbia, reggaeton and other hot Spanish and Latino music coming from the speakers.
We will have two opportunities to do that this week and both will take place in ethno club Zlati zob.
Luna Morado will be the mastress behing the turntables, and she is going to provide us with some serious latino fuerza!

Wednesday & Friday, 8.&10.10. ZLATI ZOB (Zaloška 69, Ljubljana), 21:00

ARE YOU UP FOR SOME SERIOUS BRASS?

If the answer is yes, you should drag your butty to KUD France Prešeren tonight for a Naat Veliov and Original Kočani Orchestra concert.
King Naat Veliov is blowing his trumphet since he could hold it in his hands. He was recording in profesional studios since he was 18, which is not very common for Gipsy musicians.
His breaktrough was the appearance in the Emir Kusturica movie Dom za vešanje, which had brought the attention of international labels to his band. He signed a contract witt Belgian label Crammed and soon the debut album L'Orient Est Rouge came out.
Years later the bands like Taraf de Haiduks, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Boban Marković orkestar and Mahala Raï Banda followed.
But, as it often happens, the band had quarreled with the label, and soon two Kočani Orkestars started touring Europe. Yes, it's a real Gipsy business!
The one we are going to see tonight is (as the name of the band says) original. The other one is original as well; formed from the musicians who decided to follow the label, not the founder of the band.
Which one is better? It's hard to say. Who's the Gipsy king of the trumphet? Everybody claims it's him...or him....or him....
But one thing is sure, King Naat Veliov is not called king for nothing! It's a pleasure to hear him play, and an experience to see them all on stage. So, Gipsy Jungle team sure as hell recommends you all to go and check it out!


Monday, 6.10.2008 TRNFEST, 21:00