For over a decade Toronto's Beyond the Pale has been making its distinctive brand of boundary-busting Eurofolk fusion. The sextet mixes Klezmer, Balkan, and Romanian styles with an eclectic range of North American influences, their diverse musical and cultural backgrounds intersecting in a shared impulse to push the boundaries of contemporary acoustic roots music into new realms. Their exuberant live performances range seamlessly from raucous dance rhythms to intricate chamber-folk dynamics, taking audiences on an invigorating musical ride with stunning instrumental virtuosity and thrilling arrangements.
Beyond the Pale has performed at festivals, theatres, and clubs across Canada, the U.S., and Europe, including such prestigious venues as the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards, NY's Carnegie Hall, and the Jewish Culture Festival in Krakow, Poland. The group has just released its third CD, "Postcards" (Borealis, 2009), following up on their multi-award winning live CD “Consensus†(Borealis, 2004). The band is at a creative peak on their new recording, having returned to the recording studio to create some of their most exciting music yet.
Beyond the Pale features Bret Higgins (bass), Bogdan Djukic (percussion, violin), Aleksandar Gajic (violin, viola), Milos Popovic (accordion), Eric Stein (mandolin, mandocello, cimbalom), and Martin van de Ven (clarinets).