Member Since: 3/6/2006
Band Website: zagnut-orkestar.com
Band Members: Regular Members:
Jodi Hewat - Singer
Greg Squared - Sax & Clarinet
Matthew Fass - Accordion
Joey Weisenberg - Guitar
Reuben Radding - Bass
Timothy Quigley - Drums
Special Guests:
Jessica Lurie - Sax
JR Hankins - Trumpet
Influences: Max the Official Balkan Party Emperor of NYC sez:
i started this band because
i saw a wedding in northern greece
with roma musicians picking up the groom at his house
and then walking two blocks to the bride's house
to pick her up and take her to church
and i was really inspired by that
i wish i had a photo to put here of them
i put together this band
to bring this kind of life on the streets to new york city
Other influences:
Florina brass bands
Turkish bar bands
Romany wedding bands
Bollywood film music
Serbian brass bands
Artists we admire and listen to all the time:
Angele and Goce Dimovski
Astoriani
Balkan Beat Box
Boris Karlov
Brenna MacCrimmon
Catherine Foster
Curtis Mayfield
David Byrne
Edessa
Esma Redzepova/Stevo Teodosievsk
Ferus Mustafov
George Clinton
Gogol Bordello
Hungry March Band
Ivan Milev
Ivo Papazov
Luminescent Orchestrii
Pearls of Vranje
Raif Hyseni and Merita Halili
Rambo and Zahir of Queens
Ramo Bilyalov of Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
Romashka
Romski Boje
Samiov Orkestar
Slavic Soul Party!
Thanais Serkos
Yuri Yunakov
Zlatne Uste
And of course, we have to mention our teachers at the annual Balkan Music and Dance Workshops that have helped us enormously and taught us a great many things:
Adam Goood
Beth Bahia Cohen
Brenna MacCrimmon
Carol Freeman
Carol Silverman
Catherine Foster
Christos Govetas
Esma Redzepova
Ismail Luminovski
Ivan Milev
Kalin Kirilov
Mark Levy
Matt Moran
Merita Halili
Michael Ginsburg
Paul Brown
Peter Stan
Raif Hyseni
Seido Salisfoski
Steve Kotansky
Toni Jankuloski
Walt "Vlado" Mahovlich
And so many others! Musicians we've met in Eastern Europe. Dancers we meet in the parks of New York City. People who come to our show. It all inspires us.
Sounds Like: Five shots of strong homemade plum brandy, and two tiny cups of strong, sweet espresso. All at once.
A sip of a mysterious homemade drink from the old woman in the market that burns your lips, sweetens your tongue, lights the fire in your belly and makes you fall in love all over again with everything and everyone.
A Balkan wedding band that has unexpectedly found itself in Brooklyn and is making a life there filled with music, love, longing and passion.
A group of sharps guys in hats and suits playing the celebration, party and dance music of Eastern European villages with a gutsy and gorgeous singer leading the way.
Record Label: Chamsa Records
Type of Label: None