Goran Bregovic, "Wedding Cocek" (YSI link)
Kocani Orkestar, "Siki, Siki Baba" (YSI link)
Shantel feat. Boban Marcovic Orkestar, "Disko" (YSI link)
This one seems like the obvious follow-up to our Hanukkah post, as I've been meaning to dig a little deeper into the whole gypsy beats scene that has formed over the past 5 years in Europe and the States. Shantel has been at the forefront of this blending of Balkan, Eastern European and Jewish music with more modern sounds like dub, house and punk. His Bucovina Club compilations were my first recorded taste of what was happening, I've discussed Volume 2 before, so let's take a look at Volume 1.
Interestingly, this one is as much an intro to the music of Central and Eastern Europe as it is of the new generation updating the music in Western Europe and America. While you get tracks from Gogol Bordello and Shantel, you also get songs from legendary gypsy band Taraf de Haidouks and jazzman Goran Bregovic. This mix of the traditional with the new is what makes it such a great compilation, allows you to test the waters on both sides and see which one seems more fruitful for further exploration. I tend to enjoy the traditional stuff more, with its raucous horn sections and furious pace. I wasn't always able to tell which song was the product of the traditional Balkan bands or the modern producers, except on a few of the more self-consciously produced ones, like The Rootsman's reggae-ish "La Travudia." My favorite track is the one that brings Shantel together with Boban Markovic's Orkestar for a
I'd highly recommend picking up a copy of this one, it's a nice intro to the music of the Balkans and Eastern Europe. Shantel did a nice job compiling this one, mixing the traditional with the modern, showing just how close the two are. We're gonna do a little more on this stuff this week, having fun with it, hope you are too.
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