STriCat has been nominated for the people's choice award from the Beyond Magazine: Who is the most promising world music group in the Netherlands? Support STriCat and vote here !
STriCat just released its debut cd rats & gentle people!
Order it now at: Karnatic Lab Records
Or download tracks from iTunes or eMusic
“This trio of cymbalom player Bokkie Vink with AKB (Amsterdam Klezmer Band) veterans Gijs Levelt and Theo van Tol on trumpet and accordion took Romanian Gypsy music under their loving wings, with a few excursions to Bulgaria. While showing a definite respect for tradition, these men cannot be accused of piety.
Smooth Balkan swing is smilingly complemented with sharp hard bop interventions on trumpet or staccato riffs borrowed from James Brown. The performance was precise and contagious; especially impressive were the breathtaking precision salvos from Van Tol's accordion.â€
Ton Maas, de Volkskrant, 23-4-2007
STriCat , a steaming trio: cimbalom-driven, accordion covering the entire midfield, topped with a lead scoring trumpet.
It has become common knowledge that a high level of musical agility is required to play Balkan music. Combined with the extensive experience of STriCat ’s members with jazz rock, contemporary and improvised music, this begs the question: “Can we still call this world music?†Indeed it is! Despite a liberal approach and distinctive improvisations the spirit of Rumanian and Bulgarian music is always in the air.
And finally, you would like to know what STriCat means? It’s very simple: STriCat is Rumanian and means ‘broken’.
