Shukar Collective, Technology Meets Ursari Tradition

Friday, June 17 2005 @ 07:17 AM EDT

San Francisco (California), USA - Urban Gypsy (Riverboat Records) is the new album from Shukar Collective, a talented group of musicians and producers who have furthered the sound of ursari music and brought together traditional influences with technology in faultless harmony.

Recorded and produced in Romania, the idea behind Urban Gypsy is to re-orchestrate Shukar's fabulous folkloric pieces with current technologies. The aim is to preserve and emphasize tradition and develop ursari music for today. 'Malademna' is a track from the album that also has an accompanying music video.

The Shukar Collective was born in Romania out of the meeting of new generation musicians with the gypsy traditions of Shukar founders Napoleon, Tamango and Clasic. Shukar play ursari music (ursar means 'bear tamer' or 'bear handler')
using spoons, wooden barrels or darbuka to create a powerful and urgent sound that is at once emotional and soulful. Urban Gypsy combines Shukar's original ursari music with the new technology of the collective, resulting in their distinct sound.

[Buy Urban Gypsy].

World Music Central
http://worldmusiccentral.org/article.php/20050529101749428