Now in its third year, Balkan Fever London has continued with a life of its own to present some of the best music, either from the Balkans, or drawing on the region's musical traditions. With music being one of the few things that have always traveled across borders without papers, Balkan Fever London holds a loose notion of what is the Balkans and what isn't; what some say 'belongs' to one state or to another. But with a definite worldwide wave of interest in the music and cultures of this region of South Eastern Europe, the festival brings more top quality performances to move the audience - both emotionally and physically!
With support from the Romanian Cultural Institute, the festival's opening concert brings together the irrepressibly upbeat music of Romanian gypsy brass band, Fanfare Vagabontu and Turkish virtuoso clarinet player Selim Sesler.
Fanfare Vagabontu burst onto the European festival scene in June 2005. Hailing from Moldavia, Romania, the same region as international stars Fanfare Ciocarlia, Vagabontu's rough and ready arrangements of traditional tunes on tubas, horns and trumpets are a positive celebration of the musical energy of South Eastern Europe.
The group, founded and led by trumpet player Ghiorghita Iorga, consists of 8 musicians, two living in Marseille joined by members from Moldavia, in northern Romania. All the members of Vagabontu hail from neighbouring villages such as Zece Prajini, Doaga, Pungiesti and know each other from playing at weddings, baptisms and parties - since music still plays an important role in these celebrations in Moldavia.
Armed with this festival spirit, the musicians of Fanfare Vagabontu have taken their music on street marches, into bistros, concert halls and festivals in the villages and towns throughout the South of France, providing entertainment often into the early hours of the morning. They recently performed at the Babel Med music showcase conference that took place in Marseille.
Selim Sesler is Turkey's old-school gypsy clarinet star, born in Thrace, the Eastern-most part of the Balkan Peninsula. Leading his group in the elaborate cafe music known as fasyl, Sesler's clarinet soars with oriental yearning or skips at breakneck speed through highly ornamented dances. His improvisational prowess has led to him being described in the Guardian as 'The Coltrane of the Clarinet', and he featured in Fatih Akin's films Head On and Crossing the Bridge.
Fanfare Vagabontu will also give a concert on Friday 9 May 2008, 9 pm, at Studio 24, Calton Road, Edinburgh. Tickets are: £6 before 11pm, £8 thereafter.
The Romanian Cultural Institute supports the Fanfare Vagabontu's performances in London (at Queen Elizabeth Hall) and in Edinburgh (at Studio 24).
Click here to see the full festival's programme.
When: 10 May 2008, 7.30 pm
Where: The Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank Centre, London
Tickets: £12.50 to £22 from the Box Office (0871 663 2500)
