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CD Review
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Roots World, CD Review >>
Ioan Ivancea, the clarinet-playing leader of
Fanfare Ciocarlia, would be intensely proud of,
and deeply honored by, Fanfare Ciocarlia's fifth
record. Queens and Kings is a buoyant tribute to
Fanfare Ciocarlia's patriarch, who died in
October 2006, and who graces the cover of the CD
with his wife. On the world stage, Fanfare
Ciocarlia are renowned for their Gypsy
'speed-brass,' horns played at such a breakneck,
thundering pace that one cannot help but be taken
up in the headlong rush of the sound as well as
amazed that the band manages to keep the horns in
such precise discipline. With the passing of
Ivancea, the remaining band members vowed to
honor his legacy by inviting musicians from the
wide Roma diaspora. Legends answered the call,
among them Esma Redzepova from Macedonia, and
Saban Bajramovic from Serbia. Also present are
purveyors of the younger generation, such as
Mitsou (who now fronts the Hungarian
electro-gypsy fusion group Mitsoura), and Kal
(whose recent hit "Duj Duj" gets a massive
big-band here, fronted by Mitsou and Florentina Sandu).
Romania is a complex country: unfinished
buildings from the time of Ceaucescu's rule still
stand next to abandoned cranes; Bucharest's gray
buildings burst with colorful advertising from
the major multinationals; maxi-taxis, buses, and
Dacias in various stages of (dis)repair vie for
room on two-lane roads alongside farmers and
Gypsies with their horse-drawn carts. Most people
do not make much money, and the rush of goods
into Romania tantalizes the populace with the
hoped-for prosperity thought to accompany EU
membership. Still, as Garth Cartwright's
wonderful liner notes that accompany Queens and
Kings state, Gypsies have been relegated to low
social status in Romania; and despite Fanfare
Ciocarlia's international success, the band had
never played Bucharest until December 2006.
The wide swath of musical guests on the Queens
and Kings project enter seamlessly into the
Fanfare Ciocarlia sound. On "Que Dolor," marvel
at how the flamenco guitars and hand claps of the
French band Kaloome add a body-swaying intensity
to the already funky horns. Enjoy how elder
stateman Bajramovic's voice sounds remarkably
strong during the giddy run of "Sandala," and how
Esma Redzepova's assured vocals reinforce her
status as "Queen of the Gypsies." From track to
track, Queens and Kings shows the remarkable
strength and color of Roma diversity, which only
adds to the already special nature of this tribute.
But naturally, the focus behind the showcased
voices here has to be on the band itself, and its
arsenal of horns and percussion. Critics fall
over themselves to describe the influences laced
into the group's music: Balkan, Ottoman, pop
culture detritus, Turkish, jazz; nothing seems to
escape incorporation. Right from the beginning of
Queens and Kings, as Dan Armeanca begins to sing
"Kan Marau La" ("I Will Beat Her," the tune of
which obfuscates the rather grim title), the
horns blend upward behind the chorus in a shining
break that could easily have been ripped from a
techno dance track. The arrangements are
consistently top-notch, and the band lovingly
presents Ioan Ivancea's own stately "Farewell
March" to their departed leader. Special mention
must be made of the album's closing track,
Fanfare Ciocarlia's version of Steppenwolf's
"Born To Be Wild," which, with its over-the-top
joyous vocals and intoxicating horns, is surely
one of the greatest all-time cover versions ever
made. Having just returned from Romania, I can
also vouch that "Born To Be Wild" is also the
perfect music by which to swerve your Dacia
around wandering cows on Romania's rural roads.
As a whole, Fanfare Ciocarlia's Queens and Kings
is a monumental album to the Roma's perseverance
in the face of a changing world, and the unifying
power of music.
By Lee Blackstone 09/07/07
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