J.S Bach, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, The Cure, Taraf de Haidouks, Tigerlillies, Cyndi Lauper, Rammstein, Saban Bajramovic, Muse, Bill Whelan, Esma Redzepova.
Awards
Best Act of the Folkwoods festival 2005 (Holland)
Tap Water Awards 2004 (Scotland)
BBC Radio World Music Audience Award 2003 (International)
Spirit of the Fringe 2002 (Scotland)
Boomerang 2002 (Slovenia)
The Sun Fallon Award 2001,2002,2003
Sounds Like
As a band invariably filed under "world music", Terrafolk had the art of non-verbal communication down pat.It's not that Slovenians Bojan, Mystica and Mark O'Tango can't speak English. That they can was clear from their hilariously unbefitting death metal version of You Are My Sunshine and the surreal inter-song commentary.
It's just that when they played, it was with such unbridled enthusiasm their performance tipped over into physical theatre.
Not satisfied with fiddling with a finesse which betrayed his former life with the Ljubljana Opera House Orchestra, Bojan revealed he could also play his viola backwards.
Mark O'Tango attacked his drum set like a man possessed, while Mystica took us on a surfing safari of the astral planes with his prog-rock guitar solos.
The team's Australian double bass player, Kate Hosking, added to the drama with her operatic freestyling.
With a set list which weaved together a Vivaldi concerto, an Irish jig, a jitterbug jive and Zorba The Greek, the world is Terrafolk's stage.
1999. After running out of money in New Zealand, Mystica and Boston Balkany began a busking show which was a blend of ethnic tunes that at least one of them knew. Later that year, they met up with violinist Bojan Cv at the Lent festival in Slovenia and put on an impressive improvised set. Terrafolk was born.
After heavy touring in their native land, they headed for London and Edinburgh where they played in pubs, then clubs, then festivals. One British journalist described the Terrafolk sound as “Everything respected, nothing sacred”. The UK adventure resulted in Terrafolk winning a BBC World Music Award, even though the band was not really aware of what the “world music scene” was. The band formed the ONE music society (Društvo za ENO glasbo) to better define the unlimited approach to their musical style.
Bostan Balkany left the band in 2004 to be replaced by Marko Hatlak and Janez Dovc. Marko, a ‘serious’ classical accordion player, also plays heavy drums. New descriptions of Terrafolk appeared: folk rebels, punk attitude. The touring expanded into Spain, Ireland, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Balkan countries. The festivals get bigger, the audiences grow. In 2006, Kate Hosking from Melbourne replaced Janez Dovc on double bass and added her vocals to the music.
Musically, Terrafolk have evolved from playing only traditional music to now playing mostly Terrafolk-composed music. Live performances started as duo gigs but now the band is performing more concerts with their own Symbolic Orchestra and other Orchestras from across Europe, introducing more talented guests from Slovenia and beyond.
One of Terrafolk's latest projects is called FULL CIRCLE. Produced with British pyrotechnic maestros The World Famous, FULL CIRCLE tells the story of the life-cycle of a tree as it battles the seasons and the elements. Check out the full story of FULL CIRCLE here.
Video of "The World Famous with Terrafolk present FULL CIRCLE"
Hojla, ekipa! V Ormozu ste rasturli, sam na zalost je vecino "ucencev" prezemalo vseobsegajoce strahospostovanje, pa si niso upal prevec ploskat?;) Super ste muziciral, sam premal cajta je trajal:) Kate, congrads on great performance. You rock:)
Pa plata je tud super:) Keep it going:) Pa lepo bi vas bilo videti spet kaj na Dolenjskem. Lepo in uspesno poletje in soncen pozdrav iz NM:)
Hi guys!!!We are very honoured to be your friends..Turin it's too far from Sicily,especially in this period full of university exams.. but I hope you'll come here or near some day!Your music changed our life style and our sound..maybe a day we will talk about!!Keep on our contacts guys!We bow!Greetings from Athenaeum folk. W TERRA FOLK
I like the new tune, especially the Thiersen-like start and the Django fluctuation of the guitar... anyway nice to see you're coming to London. I shall be there!
And for your info, we got this gig for Glastonbury. That kicks arse !!! :) JP
