We are a group of nine brass players and two percussionists, playing E flat clarinet, A flat clarinet, alto saxophone, two trumpets, soprano saxophone, three baritones, two helicons, zabumba, snare drum, gob-irons and extra percussive bits.
Merlin Shepherd specialises in Eastern European Jewish instrumental folk music. He has recently returned from the Ukraine, where he recorded Merlin Shepherd’s Kapelye ’Intimate, Hopes and Terrors’ with the Former Soviet Union Klezmer Allstars. See friends below.Other members of the band have twice visited Zece Prajini, Romania, to learn from members of Fanfara Ciocarlia. The whole group has had lessons from King Naat Veliov and the Original Kocani Orkestar. Other members have visited Belgrade and Vladicin Han to study with Serbian Roma brass players. We arranged a workshop with musicians from the Boban Markovic Orkestar during their recent tour of the UK.Fanfara plays festivals, arts centres, weddings, funerals, parades, parties, clubs and pubs, pretty much anywhere with a bar and a crowd – you might even catch us busking in the North Laine area of Brighton on a sunny day.We encourage you throw money while we’re busking – but it is important to wrap the coins in paper money, so that the instruments don’t get scratched.Get in touch on [email protected] or +44(0)1273 688 555 to say hello, book us, buy our CD or catch us playing.