Bluesmen's World(Music)

It’s really pluralism which characterize best Urs Karpatz, group of polyphonies, polyrythms and polyinstruments.
This ensemble, with its extraordinary ethnomusical range, plays and sings in romanes, gypsy language, a high quality repertory, reflecting and echoing gypsy culture in Europe. The group members come from Ukraine, Hungary and Romania. VIOLINS, SMALL AND BIG, CYMBALLUM, DOUBLEBASS, DRUMS, ACCORDION, CYTHARE, FLUTE, CLARINET AND SAXO ARE JUDICIOUSLY MIXED WITH VOICES.

Urs Karpatz is far from an ordinary gypsy group.
Its story isn’t banal, and we could have discovered it through a Tony Gatlif movie...
At the beginning, there is a man, Dimitri, descendant of pirates and travellers. An eventful childhood for background... When he was 4 years old, he escaped to join the romanichel camp located near his home in order “to do waht I want”! Commotionned teenages, dreams of trips and music... Then starts his long road following gypsies through all the eastern europe countries.
One day, during one of his trip in Bosnia with nomad gyspsies bear breeders, Dimitri saves a child of the group from drowning. As a token of his gratitude, the child father gives him a trained baby bear. Gift impossible to refuse! That’s how Dimitri decided to rebirth the craft of showing bears...associated with gypsy music.
Started then the search for musicians, 8 singers from the best ones, the most originals and above all proud not to deny their Romani culture! Thus in 1993, the group Urs Karpatz were born. It’s in august 1993, during the Gypsy Nights of Saint-Raphaël that URS Karpatz performed for the firts time. It was a great success ! Very fast, the group filled out and performed about 30 times in France in 1993 associating concerts and bear shows.
At the beginning of 1995, a first album released in France, composed of extracts from concerts played in St Raphaël (1993) and in Saintes Maries de la Mer in may 1994. And here they are in december 1995 for 5 weeks in the Theater du Tourtour in Paris!
Since then, the group fills out each year with a new album : in december 1999, it’s with the releasing of "Chemins de Tsiganie" that they filled up the theatre Européen in Paris, for 3 weeks! The album "Routes et Racines" is presented during 3 exceptionnal concerts in the Bataclan hall in Paris in november 2000. The last night, they received ROMANES AWARD 2001.

"Urs Karpatz don’t care about fashions... their romani culture sweats through each one of their compositions or their interpretations. Full of vibes, lively music, gypsy music !"

Tony GATLIF, movie maker

"URS Karpatz won aver me immediately…
Indeed, what makes this group is that they really and greatly follow the work of disappeared gypsy masters. And I see that Urs Karpatz works with an unusual professionnalism for gypsies "on the road". To the antipodes of gypsy musics "for tourists", Urs Karpatz interpreters, without any concession to soppy, perfect virtuosos instrumentists, reach their aim with brio. And they join those who proove us that Nietzsche were right when saying "without music, life would be a mistake...." Long life to URS Karpatz !"

Marcel CELLIER Ethno-Musicologue

01. Katar Avas Ame
02. Droma Ai Vine
03. E Ritshini Skiliol Te Khelel
04. Shukar Romni
05. Iakha Tshorane
06. Ashunen Tume Romane
07. Rovel O Kast
08. Hal Peske Naia (Kolo)
09. O Manush
10. Khelipe Gajikano
11. Ai Ushti
12. Armaia
13. Leskoro Shero Mato
14. Ketri
15. Me Jav Korkoro Po Drom
16. Dane Nane, Telpitsha Tshinde
17. Andaluso Koncerto

DIMITRI: Leader - Chant - Percussion - Cithare
BÉBÉ: Chant - Guitare - Accordéon
GOASHE: Violon alto - Violon a pavillon
KANGOU: Contrebasse
KATSOFANE: Violon - Choeurs
KINEZO: Cymballums
LOLIK: Chant - Percussion
MATCHO: Saxophone - Clarinette - Flute

Link

pass: bluesmen-worldmusic.blogspot.com