23 may 2005
[a z i] se lanseaza oficial in uk: Shukar Collective – Urban Gypsy
SHUKAR COLLECTIVE – URBAN GYPSY
Riverboat Records/World Music Network, TUGCD1037
Release date: 23 May 2005
The Shukar Collective was born in Romania from the meeting of new generation musicians with the gypsy traditions of Shukar founders Napoleon, Tamango and Clasic. Shukar play Ursari music (‘ursar’ means ‘bear tamer’ or ‘bear handler’) using spoons, wooden barrels or darabouka to create a powerful and urgent sound that is at the same time emotional and soulful. ‘Urban Gypsy’ combines Shukar’s original Ursari music with the new technology of the collective, resulting in their distinctive sound.
The Shukar Collective idea came about after Lucian Stan and Dan Handrabur heard some original Shukar tracks and saw them perform in a well-known Bucharest jazz club. The idea behind the project consists of re-orchestrating these fabulous folkloric pieces with current technologies, while preserving and even emphasizing the original aspect.
Shukar Collective bring together rroma singers with a group of DJs. Their music is passionate, tribal, almost primitive, always changing and continually emotive. The sound is very special, a tasteful merging of traditional and electronic. It is a hybrid of an ancient style of singing merged very well with contemporary dance and hip-hop beats.
Shukar Collective are: Dan Handrabur, Cristian Stanciu, Vlaicu Golcea, Mitos Micleusanu, Lucian Stan, and Marius Matesan plus the original Shukar members: Napoleon Constantin, Tamango (Radu Vasile) and Clasic (Petre Panciu) who have released music with Taraf De Ha?douks.
’ [..] the result is consistently satisfying, and this album should travel far beyond most records from Romania.’ – Charlie Gillett, The Observer Music Monthly, April 2005
Visit Shukar Collective website at www.shukar-collective.net
Details on www.worldmusic.net/home/features/shukar.html
via – Electric Brother