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CD Review
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rootsworld.com, CD Review >>
Kal
Kal
Asphalt Tango (www.asphalt-tango.de)
Gypsy musicians are used to being outsiders in
Europe, and whether a Gypsy chooses a nomadic
lifestyle or a sedentary one, their far-flung
diaspora has meant that their music is often
imitated and bathed in a romantic, mystical
aura. The band Kal is situated in Serbia, a land
that is no stranger to ethnic strife. Founded by
Dushan and Dragan Ristic, Kal's music is
immediately and unapologetically urban. This
collective of Roma musicians from the Belgrade
environs are digging deep into Romani culture,
creating music that is not only looking to the
fields and byways, but to skyscrapers, airliners, and cyberspace.
"Duj Duj" is the explosive lead-off track, driven
by an incredibly funky bass-line and manic
percussion. It is an unrelenting dance-floor
pleaser, and as Kal's CD was produced by Mike
Nielsen (who has worked with the globe-trotting
Natacha Atlas and the techno of Underworld), it
is clear that Kal want to work the seam between
the modern and the traditional. "Dvojka" has an
acoustic drum 'n' bass flavor that meshes and
morphs into a frenetic gypsy violin tune, but the
tempo is quickly varied as the band applies the
brakes slowly, pausing to listen to Dragan take
on some scat singing that sounds like an Indian
tal. The influences come at the listener fast and furiously.
Kal do not approach every tune at breakneck
speed, as the lovely "Djelem, Djelem" and "Boro
Boro" prove. "Boro Boro" features some mournful
female vocals, and the music invites mind
expansion and heartbreak. Elsewhere, Kal
incorporate tango, a bit of Italian influence,
and the last tune, "Midnight Walk," made me
wonder what might have happened if the Ventures
were Roma in an alternate universe.
Dragan's comments in the liner notes indicate
that he is interested in making music without
compromise, and he hopes that Kal will ideally
serve as an example to other young Roma musicians
that are modernizing Romani culture. Where
culture and politics are often intertwined, the
band's music does indeed have the sound of the
streets and a global heartbeat. - Lee Blackstone
Listen to some excerpts
Duj Duj: http://www.cdroots.com/audio/kalkal1.mp3
Dvokja: http://www.cdroots.com/audio/kalkal2.mp3
CD available from cdRoots
http://www.cdroots.com/hm-atr-0906.html
07/16/06 >> go there
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