WOMAD

Taraf de Haidouks

From Romania

The true gypsy kings

"Their music is beyond anything I've ever heard. They're the greatest musicians." You could never accuse Johnny Depp of being non-committal about Taraf de Haidouks, the band of Romani-Romanian musicians who managed one of the unlikeliest feats in musical history - emerging from obscurity in rural Romania to grace the most prestigious stages in the world. While patronage from Hollywood A-listers far from hinders the cause, it was never vital for the Taraf troupe - it simply alerted the planet to what's plain to see and hear. And what's plain are those riveting, undulating melodies, the galloping strings, the spiralling accordion. Just how can hands move so quickly? But it's not all about fast-fingered technique - it's also about the fervour Taraf bring to their shows, performances where they emit all the passion of the most devoted gospel group and all the ragged rebel spirit of the angriest punk outfit. Heroes to a man.

(Biography written by Nige Tassell 2011)
Photo: James Burns

Latcho Drom - Taraf De Haidouks

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