SONGS OF THE ROMA
A new Romani musical journey full of spiritual intensity, catharsis and joy by one of the UK's most instinctively expansive musical figures, Simon Thacker (classical guitar), with the much admired Polish cellist Justyna Jablonska and leading Roma exponent singer/violinist Masha Natanson.
Building on one of the world's great song traditions as well as his own pioneering experiences across the world, Thacker draws on and extends European, Indian and Balkan folk forms, and of course flamenco, on a mystic road to new soundworlds in music.
The Roma have always lived on the edge of society. Likewise Thacker has always followed his own non-conformist path beyond boundaries. Contrasting his vivid re-imagining of powerful songs in Romani, Romanian, Serbian and Russian from the gypsy tradition with wonderfully inventive new instrumental music, Songs of the Roma is an exploration of traditional Roma themes such as birth, death and love and the search for lost roots. The debut album will be released soon.
"Another stage in the journey of the music of the Roma people" ThreeWeeks (Edinburgh Festival Fringe) *****
"Manages to be spiritual, intellectual, technical and emotional all at the same time... absolutely not to be missed." 7Ahead
"The term "world music" uttered in today's time and space has come to mean very little, but in Simon Thacker it has been reborn, in his epic sojourn that takes him - like an ancient Roma traveller from India, through Spain and finally northwards to Scotland." World Music Report (Canada)
" Simon Thacker hasn't re-interpreted world music (more accurately traditional music forms from Scotland to India and many points of Roma gypsy travels between). He's completely reinvented it." FabricationsHQ