Genres

From: Europe > Bulgaria, Eastern Europe, Romania

Genres: Balkan Brass Bands, Roma (Gypsy) Music

Fanfare Ciocarlia

Zece Prajini (literally meaning ten fields) is a village of just four hundred souls, surrounded by gentle mountains and dusty tracks. Situated in the east of Romania, it is no more than a stone's throw from the border with the former Soviet republic of Moldavia. This area of Romania is known for its rugged seclusion and the stubborn poetry of its inhabitants. In the evenings, when the winds calm down, the sounds of the Fanfare echo from the surrounding slopes. This is the home of the twelve Romany Gypsy musicians who make up the Fanfare Ciocarlia brass ensemble.

The origins of Romany gypsy brass bands are to be found in the Turkish military bands that emerged at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Then, the Ottoman occupation of the Balkans had a considerable influence that can be clearly heard in the music across Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia and Romania. The art of playing music has been handed down from generation to generation since time immemorial. There is no sheet music. The instruments, bearing the marks of the previous decades, have lost their shine and gained their own patina.

On them Fanfare Ciocarlia manage to set off a musical fireworks display, with an unbelievable talent for intricate rhythms and dizzy tempos. Traditional dances from Romania and rhythms from Turkey, Bulgaria and Macedonia are played on horns, trumpets, clarinets and timpani. Every weekend the instruments are hauled off to be played at weddings and other ceremonial occasions. They are often played for over thirty hours non-stop. For each different moment in life there is an appropriate piece: geamparale, sîrba, hora, and if the mood requires, a racy ruseasca at the end. Back in their village the musicians soothe their sore lips and await their next engagement.

A wonderful symbiosis exists between the older and the younger musicians. There is respectful silence whenever the old master Radulescu Lazar himself reaches for the trumpet and strikes up his wild "Ruseasca lui filon" dance. The younger musicians' eyes still narrow dreamily at these sounds as their fingers nervously caress the valves of their instruments. The older musicians wink tolerantly whenever the younger generation blast new sounds through their horns. Since music cannot "only" be about tradition, they take up current melodies from movies between Bollywood and Hollywood as well as adapting international radio hits to Fanfare Ciocarlia's very own style.

After touring almost every country and continent one can think of for the past 4 years, the 12 masters of "Fast-Speed-Brass-Music" are working on a new project. The party Fanfare Ciocarlia kicks off just after entering the stage and which drives everyone sheer mad is beeing put on celluloid. Director Ralf Marschalleck / Berlin is trying to visualize the two exciting but so different worlds the musicians of the Gypsy Brass Band Fanfare Ciocarlia live in: the tiny Gypsy village Zece Prajini in Romania and their life on the big concert stages abroad.

One day playing on a traditional wedding in the neighbourhood village and the next day sitting in a plane on the way to Japan - the full length roadmovie for cinema release features the musicians' life which is based on an old tradition, a tradition which was discovered by an international fan community to assuage a hunger for a Balkan atmosphere and unleashing brass music.

[ more ]