PRICE:
$15.50
IN STOCK
ARTIST
TITLE
BalkanBeats
FORMAT
CD

LABEL
CATALOG #
EBM 003CD EBM 003CD
GENRE
RELEASE DATE
5/25/2010

2006 release. When the first grenades were fired in the disintegrating Yugoslavia of the early '90s, a young Bosnian named Robert Soko came to Berlin to start a new life. He didn't care if his neighbor was Bosnian, Serbian, or Croatian. Robert began to throw parties with like-minded emigrants and played the old yugo hits -- a symbol of long-gone, peaceful Yugoslavia and vital survival training of emigrants trying to regain a lost past, their own history and identity. After over 10 years, the "BalkanBeats" parties are "legenda." Twice a month, Balkan beats are blasting in Berlin's Mudd Club: Gypsy grooves, tribal beats and Balkan ska. "BalkanBeats" became an international cult affair. Now, Soko plays New York and L.A. on a regular basis. Balkan beats are highly addictive -- it's in their savage energy, the colorful, fresh timbres, and passions. The inexhaustible diversity stems from Slavic, Oriental, Jewish traditions, and from the culture of the Roma people. The music's natural openness enables an easy and exciting transfer to modern times. Fresh Balkan bands pick up those traditions and process them into an individual cultural amalgam. Artists such as Let 3 and Magnifico spoof their own Balkan roots, fuse them with rock, ska, or metal, and nevertheless pay respect. Fanfare Ciocărlia, Karandila, and the Boban Marković Orkestar radicalize classic Balkan brass music with maximum virtuoso skill, thus renewing an old tradition to something sounding fresh and exciting. Many of the bands are inspired by completely different traditions; for example, Mahala Raï Banda throw you out of the Bucharest slums into the heat of New Orleans. BalkanBeats presents the greatest hits from the Mudd Club -- traditional and urban sounds -- diverse, explosive, and over-the-top. Includes a 20-page booklet and 2 bonus videos. Other artists include: Magnifico & Turbolentza, Besh O Drom, Yugoton & Kazik, Legen, Kultur Shock, Kayah & Bregović, Frank London's Klezmer Brass Allstars, Maya, Ssassa, Sanja & Balkanika, and George Dalaras & Goran Bregović.