Hailing from New York’s East Village, Mad Juana blends blues, reggae, dub, flamenco and good old dirty rock n roll to create a sophisticated fusion of bohemian-gypsy rock.
The masterful musicians responsible for this downtown bohemian vibe include Guitarist Sami Yaffa, accordion player Marni Rice, tenor saxophonist Danny Ray, trumpeter Nico Camargo, percussionist Paul Garisto and dazzling vocalist Karmen Guy.
The band is often compared to Gogol Bordello, Patti Smith Group and The Velvet Underground.
Their new album drops in May 2008 on Azra Records.
Visit them on My Space.
See them live:
| Karmen & Sami host/DJ MJ’s Voodoo Room | San Diego, California | ||
| Bar Pink Elephant | San Diego, California |
The term bohemian describes any person who lives an unconventional artistic life and means: nonconformist, free spirit, unconventional. Personally, I think those are exactly the criteria good music must fulfill. There are so many insignificant records coming out these days that don't meet those criteria. In my opinion the music industry is over-focused on commercializing and monetizing concepts that have proven to work well and on bombarding the hordes with those blockbusters while it remains difficult for us music lovers to find the real pearls that come out month after month.
Which brings me back to the term bohemian. It's meaning comes from the French word "bohémien" for a member of the Roma people which are often referred to as Gypsies. This widely dispersed ethnic group lives across the world and the style and performance practices of Gypsy musicians have influenced eastern and western European as well as American artists and many great tracks and albums have emerged.
One such exceptional artist is Django Reinhardt, considered as the first European jazz artist. What made his music so new and unique was the fusion of three different music styles: he mixed the New-Orleans-Jazz from the 20s with traditional French waltz and applied his gypsy style and performance practices to create a new genre, the Gypsy-Swing.The Song "Minor Swing" is probably Django's most popular and most recognizable tune.
Gypsy music inspired also Gogol Bordello a Gypsy punk band from New Yorks Lower East Side. It's core members, all immigrants from Eastern Europe, formed the band in 1999.Inventive composition, lively instrumentation which include accordion and fiddle and Eugene Hütz's vocal performance make sure this band stands out of the crowd.
Balkan Beat Box plays pretty much what its name suggests.The bands distinctive sound is an electronica influenced fusion of Jewish, Mediterranean and Balkan traditions interwoven with dub, dance hall and hip hop elements.
Responsible for this musical mishmash are the New York-based Israeli musicians Ori Kaplan (Sax) and Tamir Muskat (Drums) and their ever-changing cadre of fellow musicians.
Beirut is the moniker of 20-year-old Brooklyn resident Zach Condon, a high school dropout who spent some time in eastern Europe soaking up the culture and music styles of the "old world."His records are more singer-songwriter orientated. Horn and accordion sections accentuate the overall melancholic atmosphere, which is underpinned by Condon's gloomy voice.
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