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Plain Dealer, Concert Preview >>
Drawing from global hotspots, band spreads message of peace
The Balkan Beat Box consists of members from regions of the world that have seen their fair share of political upheaval, including Iran, Morocco, the former Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. Israeli-born Ori Kaplan and Tamir Muskat, who co-founded the band, hope they can play a part in erasing political borders with music that melds the members' musical backgrounds and styles into one unifying jam.
"We combined Israeli, Mediterranean and Balkan influences and brought to them a more hard-edge electronic, hip-hop beat with a very clear aesthetic," said Kaplan over the phone last month from Tel Aviv, one of the New York City-based group's final stops during its recent international tour. "There are very clearly fresh identification marks that connect to the region and represent it."
Kaplan and Muskat formed the band two years ago with musicians who shared an understanding of the old world folk sound the two sought to infuse into modern music. The fusion results in a gypsy circus of sound that entertains the ear with Turkish-style embellished horns that float over weighty bass and percussion.
"That is the formula of who we are," said Kaplan. "It is a natural reaction an accumulation of who we are."
The accumulation of who they are makes a kind of political statement during a time when many of the regions they represent are in a state of turmoil. Even though Kaplan recognized that playing shows in Israel was risky, there was no doubt that their shows in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem must go on.
"To not play, we don't even ask that question," Kaplan said. "We have family and friends here. Not coming would be kind of ridiculous."
During their tour, the band co-headlined bills with Palestinian hip-hop bands and used their stage time in song and speech to make further political statements. They express hope that Palestinians and Israelis will one day "play soccer in the same field."
"We set an example for people," Kaplan said. "We talk to young people more than politicians do. We can reach a lot of young people more than politicians can. They can get the impression that there are shades of gray and there are people who believe in peace and brother hood; and erase borders that are completely artificial. It might be Utopian, but why not? This is what we believe in."
Mary T. Nguyen
09/01/06
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