Special Guests:
Jessica Lurie - Sax
JR Hankins - Trumpet
Influences
Max the Official Balkan Party Emperor of NYC sez:
i started this band because
i saw a wedding in northern greece
with roma musicians picking up the groom at his house
and then walking two blocks to the bride's house
to pick her up and take her to church
and i was really inspired by that
i wish i had a photo to put here of them
i put together this band
to bring this kind of life on the streets to new york city
Other influences:
Florina brass bands
Turkish bar bands
Romany wedding bands
Bollywood film music
Serbian brass bands
Artists we admire and listen to all the time:
Angele and Goce Dimovski
Astoriani
Balkan Beat Box
Boris Karlov
Brenna MacCrimmon
Catherine Foster
Curtis Mayfield
David Byrne
Edessa
Esma Redzepova/Stevo Teodosievsk
Ferus Mustafov
George Clinton
Gogol Bordello
Hungry March Band
Ivan Milev
Ivo Papazov
Luminescent Orchestrii
Pearls of Vranje
Raif Hyseni and Merita Halili
Rambo and Zahir of Queens
Ramo Bilyalov of Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
Romashka
Romski Boje
Samiov Orkestar
Slavic Soul Party!
Thanais Serkos
Yuri Yunakov
Zlatne Uste
And of course, we have to mention our teachers at the annual Balkan Music and Dance Workshops that have helped us enormously and taught us a great many things:
Adam Goood
Beth Bahia Cohen
Brenna MacCrimmon
Carol Freeman
Carol Silverman
Catherine Foster
Christos Govetas
Esma Redzepova
Ismail Luminovski
Ivan Milev
Kalin Kirilov
Mark Levy
Matt Moran
Merita Halili
Michael Ginsburg
Paul Brown
Peter Stan
Raif Hyseni
Seido Salisfoski
Steve Kotansky
Toni Jankuloski
Walt "Vlado" Mahovlich
And so many others! Musicians we've met in Eastern Europe. Dancers we meet in the parks of New York City. People who come to our show. It all inspires us.
Sounds Like
Five shots of strong homemade plum brandy, and two tiny cups of strong, sweet espresso. All at once.
A sip of a mysterious homemade drink from the old woman in the market that burns your lips, sweetens your tongue, lights the fire in your belly and makes you fall in love all over again with everything and everyone.
A Balkan wedding band that has unexpectedly found itself in Brooklyn and is making a life there filled with music, love, longing and passion.
A group of sharps guys in hats and suits playing the celebration, party and dance music of Eastern European villages with a gutsy and gorgeous singer leading the way.
Called "Rousing! Rollicking!" (Time Out NY), "Rowdy!" (New Yorker) & "NYCs Pre-eminent Balkan Band" (L Magazine), The Zagnut Orkestar is a Brooklyn-based Eastern European music ensemble that plays up-tempo, soulful and haunting songs and melodies of the Turkish, Slavic, Greek, Romani and Jewish people found throughout the Balkan Peninsula. Blending traditional music with up-to-date sounds, they are a village band walking from the groom's house to the bride's house on a warm afternoon suddenly meeting up with the funkiest and finest NY musicians and creating something new, unexpected and completely captivating. Their sound is audacious, unfettered, off the hook. Timeless grooves and beats outside the box create stirring concerts, all night dance parties and weddings that never end.
Just wanted to let you know that we have openings in our music publicity efforts this Fall. So if you have a USA release or tour in need of publicity, we'd love to hear from you. Samples of some of our recent successes...
LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN: Mariza (coming October 11)
NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO: Sara Tavares, Cesaria Evora, Andy Palacio, Balkan Beat Box, Slavic Soul Party, Encuentro, The Inspiring New Sounds of Rio de Janeiro, Sones de Mexico (coming soon)
NEW YORK TIMES: Jose Conde y Ola Fresca, Erol Josue, The Inspiring New Sounds of Rio de Janeiro, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Lura, Nawal, Andy Palacio
Plus Wall Street Journal, PRI's The World, L.A.Times, Boston Globe, and Washington Post and more at www.rockpaperscissors.biz. Please drop me a line if we can help with your USA global music publicity efforts or to schedule a meeting at WOMEX in Sevilla (womex.com).
Much respect,
Dmitri @ Rock Paper Scissors, Inc. www.rockpaperscissors.biz
Hey, Max. It's almost Festival time and the fact that you and the rest of the Zagnuts won't be here has inspired a revolution. "Bring back the Zagnuts! Bring back the Zagnuts!" The streets of little Red Lodge are being patrolled by helicopters, the police have resorted to tear gas, and the rioters are absolutely out of control. The only thing that will calm the chaos? Ani More Nusi on the main stage and many, many ovations.
Hi Zagnut. Just a little note to let you and your friends know that, after rave reviews, 'Guca' the film is out on DVD. To buy, visit Guca's myspace site and click on the 'Buy DVD' poster. Alternatively go directly to www.oart.co.uk/store
Hi Zagnut Orkestar
Come check out this exclusive FREE Download of the song "Meet Me
In The Old Marketplace'"!
From Frank London's "A NIGHT
IN THE OLD MARKETPLACE"
Available for a limited time only at: HREF="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnNvdW5kYnJ1c2hleGNsdXNpdmUuY29tLw=="
target="_blank">www.SoundbrushExclusive.com
We're currently working on an Oud-based free-style tune & it's turning out a killer! We spent the past weekend celebrating Erez's Birthday :)
How was your weekend?
Keep in touch & have a killer week!
Erez & Sami
ITP
"ITP - lose Your Illusion" - Out Now on SunDance Records!
http://www.myspace.com/iiitttppp
http://www.saikosounds.com/english/display_release.asp?id=6347
holy shiznit dawg i just tried one of those ring tone websites advertised everywhere and they really do work...i got some crystal clear ring tones for my phone instantly. i am talking about some cadillac quality here! you just gotta see for yourself, just copy and paste this site in your browser: http://www.snapios.com
peace, Timothy Quigley
