Review Centre: Jewish / Klezmer Bands

"One of the hidden treasures of London is the range of talent that exists on the folk and acoustic scene that rarely get the acclaim they deserve. Three London based bands that excel at performing Eastern European/Balkan Music are Szapora, Mukka and Beskydy, each of whom are worth looking out for. Nine strong Beskydy perform songs and tunes from across Eastern Europe and beyond, in fact looking at the sources on their cd listing is almost like a tour around that part of Europe, from Macedonia to Hungary via Galicia and Bulgaria and taking a detour through Slovakia. The bands name itself comes from the range of mountains that run through the centre of former Czechoslovakia which according to the band has heavily influenced their musical choices whilst they turn their hand to music from a range of sources (excellantly). The first track is a Macedonian song, Jovano, Jovanke (click here to hear the song) and the range of Joanna Fosters vocal skills are further displayed in the three Slovakian songs that make up track 4, from the slow Janosik to the more up beat cheery Anicka Dusicka and A Ja Taka Dzivocka although Foster and the band manage to intertwine the tunes with sufficient skill so the songs merge as one. Again Track 9 is a duet with Accordian player, Peter Murphy, joining Foster on the Macedonian song Iz Dolu, along with some damned fine fiddling. The range of Beskydys musical skills are illustrated well by the instrumental tracks ranging from the delightful Slovakian Waltzes (Track 5) to the slightly more manic Tropanka from Bulgaria (track 10) and onto the ordered upbeat and furious synthesis between sax, fiddle and accordian that is Tantz, Tantz Yiddelekh (a wonderful Galician Jewish tune), yet again garunteed to result in limb movement, a delightful fusion of fiddles and saxaphone, furiously creating a wonderful atmosphere one that demands a physical response. One very minor complaint is the sleeve of the CD, it would be nice (or do I just lead a very shallow empty life) to have some information/lyrics or even translations of the songs, something about the origins of the tracks. That said its more than possible for bands with large bank accounts to produce nice extensive sleeves but not so easy for bands whose talents lie in their music rather than some slick marketing agencies. It would be impossible to identify one part of this cd that could be said to stand out more than the rest. The band have produced an album that is thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish - the question that comes to the fore when listening to this is when is the follow up going to be available?"

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"Hi, Just a quick line to say you were fabulous and created such a fine atmosphere. Many many thanks. Best, Matthew Dugdale"

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"What a fantastic and innovative idea! I'd highly recommend you to anyone looking for something truly spectacular for their event!"

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"I just wanted to thank you all so very much for playing so incredibly beautifully for us on Saturday night.  I have been inundated with messages about the extraordinary quality of your music, and the virtuosity of your musicianship - they were so surprised to find that in the middle of a Devon field! I am sorry that I got the set up with the yurt and the fire a little wrong, and thank you for being game enough to emerge from the tent and lead the dancing around the fire.  Amazing and unforgettable.   So many people have asked me what language you sang in; I had the impression that perhaps it was more than one? I would love to know, so that I can pass it on.   Once again thank you to all four of you, and to your contribution to a completely extraordinary evening.  I am so glad you had a comfortable night at Jenny's and hope your journey home was not too troublesome - I know the traffic can be a bit challenging on the M5 but it sounds like you set off early enough to miss the worst of it.  Everyone was only sorry that there was no opportunity to chat with you all, as well as have the lovely experience of listening to your music.   Many thanks again and best wishes. Fanny"

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"Enchanted Harpist was absolutely brilliant at our recent wedding - her harp playing is second to none and she even learnt new songs that we specifically requested! She is truly talented and made our day so special. Highly recommend! "

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"Anna was kind enough to be our first singer on our Live Music nights and she set the bar very high! With a superb voice and friendly nature, managed to get the normally quiet clientele to their feet and we all had a fantastic night! Have already booked for more sets as we couldn't let her get away. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a unique, professional and stunning performer! "

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"Thank you guys for performing at our wedding. you were absolutely amazing and we can’t thank you enough for creating the perfect atmosphere at our wedding. Our guests were blown away by you and we will not forget that night for a long time."

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"The Line Up were absolutely brilliant! Their music was varied and perfect for our Christmas Ball. We couldn't have asked for more. "

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"Just wanted to drop you a note to say thank you so much! The Tribe were absolutely fantastic at our wedding! Everyone commented on how good they were and how much they enjoyed the evening do - there were people up on the dance floor all night! They were very professional and it was noted by everyone. Wish we could have another party then we can get you guys up here again!!"

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"All I can say is a big thank you to you for making our Ladies nightvery special, The place came alive when you started singing, texts ande mails of appreciation are still coming in. Union Lodge was consecrated in 1736 and I don't think it has ever been rocked like that before. Thanks again "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"An insanely talented band. Thank you!"

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"Thank you so much for the most amazing performance - we absolutely loved you, as did our guests! You played hit after hit and sounded brilliant. We couldn't have asked for anything more. Thanks also for playing our somewhat obscure first dance!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We hired Anna for our son's barmitzvah. The children gave her a few requests and we asked that she played the Israeli dancing section as well. She really made our party exactly what we were hoping for and she even invited our daughter to sing with her a few times as we told her that she loves singing. Thank you so much for making our party so special, Anna. You were perfect! We'll be booking you again for our daughter's batmitzvah in a few years' time!"

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"As MIB began to get into their stride, the frenzy intensified! Suddenly a massive conga of grinning people of all shapes and sizes was jollying its way through the throngs of people…"

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"Anna sung out our engagement brunch and was amazing. From the minute we contacted Anna we knew that this was one thing we didn't need to worry about. She couldn't do enough for us leading up to the day and the day itself. Everyone commented on how amazing she was to listen too. I would highly recommend Anna and will be using her again. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: