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  Various Artists
Rough Guide to the Music of Balkan Gypsies (World Music Network RGNET
1159 CD, 2005)
I love albums that get right to the heart of it and don't let up. This is one
such disc, beginning with the instantly grabbing rave-up of "Mahalageasca" by
Romania's Mahala Rai Banda before dancing through another hour of choice
material by Rom (
Gypsy) artists from across the
Balkan nations of Eastern
Europe.
That Gypsies have been unfairly stereotyped, persecuted and discriminated
against in the centuries since they began to migrate from Rajasthan is
undeniable (sadly, such treatment of many a scapegoated ethnic group has long
been a part of Balkan history). Equally obvious is how well their music reflects
the resilient vitality of their culture, always deftly mixing and matching their
own traditions with those of the areas they settled in. So on this collection we
hear music with an unmistakable Rom flair but also infused with strains of
Ottoman brass,
Greek and
Albanian folkloric sounds, Arabic percussion, emergent
jazz and techno and beyond.
Similarly tart though more focused than 2003's
The Rough Guide to the Music of the Balkans (some of the same
artists are featured), the lineup here includes lively pieces by bands like
Taraf
de Haidouks,
Mostar Sevdah Reunion and
Fanfare Ciocarlia who've achieved near-legendary status in the realm
of Gypsy music. Lesser-known but clearly dynamic singers such as Nikolae Simion,
Eleni Vitali and Vera Petrovic are also featured, showing a wide range of vocal
as well as instrumental mastery among the Gypsy inhabitants of the musically
vital Balkans. Top notch.
[Buy
The Rough Guide to the Music of Balkan Gypsies].
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