Bluesmen's World(Music)

"Antwerp city, with its harbor, has always been a melting pot of different cultures. The Antwerp Gipsy-Ska Orkestra reflects that openness in an intriguing way; seven musicians from all over the world - each with a very diverse musical background - have teamed up to combine the pure, raw energy of authentic Roma Gipsy melodies with the ultra-danceable ska groove.

This band has it all! A charismatic front man, street credibility, incredible energy on stage, a vast variety of styles and rhythms that stretch the boundaries of what we know as ska music, striking melodies that soar with joy and dive with melancholy, improvisational skills to match a jazz combo and best of all… their own sound that is so rich and natural that one can’t help but wonder why nobody came up with this idea before.

You can see that classifying AGSO as just another ska band would be a mistake that one is not likely to make after seeing them at work.

Based solely on their live reputation they played the Melkweg (Amsterdam) with Balkan Beat Box and left the audience screaming for more. A few months later they performed at the prestigious Eurosonic festival in the ‘Stadsschouwburg’ (after the Magic Numbers) which confirmed their popularity status and has them headlining many festivals in the Netherlands and Belgium.

The debut CD which was released in June 2007, was unanimously applauded by the Belgian Press as a masterpiece, terms like all hits, no misses got the band many interviews and frequent airplay on Belgium’s Radio 1. Since the last of the band’s illegal immigrants received his permit to stay just before the release, “Tuttilegal” seemed an appropriate title.

The Musicians

Gregor - Vocals & trumpet
Kike - Alto Saxophone
Vincent - Soprano/Tenor Saxophone
Mukt i- Guitar
Suki - Keyboard
Filip - Double Bass
Alfredo - Drums

Gregor and Mukti are old friends, they played together in Moss, a hardcore punk band with Mukti on drums. At the same time Mukti played in Tachyon, at that time also a punk band (he also joined Belgian Asociality later on)... one thing led to another and Gregor became the singer of Tachyon. As this group gradually became a ska band, Kike (Argentina) was asked to join them on sax. After Tachyon split up in 2003 these three friends found each other again in AGSO.

Kosovo born Suki plays in numerous gipsy-projects.

Gregor, Vincent (France) and Kike are part of the Ambrassband, a fanfare that grew out of the Antifare.
Gregor and Kike also form the horn section of Donkey Diesel.

Filip played bass with Le Trio Perdu. After their breakup, he formed the klezmer formation On Fidldikn Mamzer with the accordeonist. He's active in the gipsy scene apart from AGSO and you also can hear him perform with Bobby's Evil, Bacalhou (Fado), Tagsim (Arabo-Andalusisch) en Delicatessen (Free). He's also recording with Lais.

Alfredo was born in Chili and also plays jazz sessions and other side projects."

01.Erkilet güzeli
02.Artik Sevmeyecegim
03.Pussinality
04.Tuttilegal
05.Djelem Djelem
06.Duy Beren
07.Suki's theme
08.Tutti Frutti
09.Duj Sandala
10.Agsong

Link

pass: bluesmen-worldmusic.blogspot.com