Clejani Love Song

Taraf de Haïdouks are celebrating their 25th anniversary with a new album, Of Lovers, Gamblers and Parachute Skirts, released by Crammed Discs. They’re playing soon at Union Chapel, but it looks like I’ll miss the concert, so in compensation here’s a little video for a song off the album. I first saw them perform at the Royal Festival Hall in 1998 when they shared the stage with Kronos Quartet and made ecstatic music together. I’ve been a fan ever since. Yehudi Menuhin and Pina Bausch were also fans, as are Johnny Depp and Terry Gilliam. They’ve been called “the best Gypsy band in the world”. Yet despite all the international acclaim they still live in their home village of Clejani in Romania.

Frames of reference

Twilight Music

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We were at Union Chapel in Islington recently to see The Gloaming. It was our first visit. Why had we never been before? It makes no sense. It’s a wonderful, atmospheric venue with a long tradition of showing class acts in intimate surroundings, and The Gloaming are certainly a class act. We arrived early and sat on the hard pews for far too long, but the music was worth the wait. Continue reading “Twilight Music”

Frames of reference