Philadelphia Weekly, Review >>
Maybe Eric and Olivier Slabiak's mother wanted them to be doctors. Or lawyers. Accountants, at least. But all those music lessons took them elsewhere. The two virtuoso violinists formed Les Yeux Noirs eight years ago and have since been exploring the relationship between Gypsy music and klezmer. Supporting press materials note that "both groups were major targets of the Nazis, though the Holocaust was not the first oppression suffered by either group." But that comparison is kind of dumb. The more interesting shared heritage is the music: the somewhat sad minor-key melodies, the reliance on strings and the fast-paced rhythms meant, in days past, to hide despair. My favorite quote about Les Yeux Noirs comes from the Bangkok Post, of all places, which calls them "the boy band of a lost era." Their live performances are exuberant enough to turn the Art Museum's Great Hall into a crazy Gypsy/Jewish wedding. (Liz Spikol) 07/17/02 >> go there
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