Gypsy rockers get into the party swing at Balkan Fever

The headliners on Saturday were Hungarian band Besh O Drom — prefaced by an acknowledgement that Hungary isn’t actually in the Balkans. But noticing the party passing them by, Besh O Drom jumped on the Balkan bandwagon more than a decade ago and get their audience jumping — possibly helped by Turkish beer, Hungarian wine and brandy. It’s an idiosyncratic line-up with two sax players, guitar, bass guitar and drums — and occasionally female vocalist Bori Magyar. Leader Gergely Barcza occasionally exchanges his sax for Bulgarian kaval flute but really they’re a rock band with a Balkan colouring, playing painfully-loud four-to-the-floor rhythms with rock-style guitar, bass and drum solos.

More Balkan and more party-like music followed from the Vienna-based Adrian Gaspar Gypsy Combo — an accomplished seven-piece band featuring musicians from across the region, playing for the first time in London. The audience had slimmed down by this stage but this was a more authentic party atmosphere — really helped by young Macedonian vocalist Tanya Tzarovska (aka Tanya Tzara) joining them for two brilliant numbers.  

But the most striking music of the evening came from Bosnian singer Amira. She sang dark, lyrical sevdah songs accompanied by accordionist Merima Kljuco. It didn’t suit the Balkan party atmosphere and was hindered by background noise — but with a profoundly original beauty, it was the most powerful music of the night.

Balkan Fever 2010: Besh O Drom, Adrian Gaspar Gypsycombo, Tatcho Drom, Amira & Merima Kljuco, DJ Ahilea
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