The first thing one notices about 'Blitzmash', Amsterdam Klezmer Band's eleventh album to date, is the huge number of guests the band asked to participate on this album. Opener 'Op Je Hoede' is given a Brazilian touch thanks to Lilian Vieira (Zuco 103). Other nice effort are 'Rokjesdag', a song for which Amsterdam Klezmer Band got the help of Rotfront front man Yuriy Gurzhy and the Pauni Trio, and in which hip-hop and reggae seamlessly blend with klezmer and gypsy music, and 'Bhangra Balkan Style', a song that mixes the gipsy tradiotions of the Balkans with Indian bhangra rhythms. With her raps Skip & Die's Cata Pirata lends a modern twist to 'Ladybirds'. The music of Amsterdam Klezmer Band may sound cheerful and danceable, but the fact they can also get serious is proven by 'Tussen Gisteren En Vandaag', a song telling the tale of someone fleeing the pogroms in Eastern Europe which is given a slightly Arabian touch by the presence of Samira Dainan. Another successful release by this Amsterdam party orchestra!
Apparently Barcelona now also has its own gypsy/klezmer orchestra. Barcelona Gipsy Klezmer Orchestra was formed in 2012 when eleven musicians got together for a concert dedicated to International Romani Day (april 7). Of those eleven musicians a hard core of six remained and with the help of German violinist Vroni Schnattinger they are now presenting their first long player 'Imbarca' (roughly translated "all aboard!"). On this album the band offer their own interpretation of a number of classics from klezmer and gypsy music (opener 'Hévenu Shalom Aléchem' or 'Djelem Djelem'), but some less obvious songs also made the cut ('Hasta Siempre, Commandante', the emotional tribute to Ernesto 'Che' Guevara by Cuban composer Carlos Puebla got a klezmer makeover and 'La Dama d'Aragó', a traditional Catalan folk song given a gypsy flavor for 'Imbarca'), and with songs like 'He Tought He Was Italian' and 'Kus Kus', Barcelona Gipsy Klezmer Orchestra also added a few compositions of their own to the track list of 'Imbarca'. At the very least, 'Imbarca' should be considered the successful debut of a band that we'll definitely keep an eye on!