Lamajamal Gypsy Surf

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Lamajamal - Gypsy Surf
Available at the following locations:

Reckless Records
www.reckless.com
1532 N. Milwaukee, Chicago, IL 60622
3161 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657

Permanent Records
www.permanentrecordschicago.com
1914 W. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Laurie's Planet of Sound
www.lauriesplanetofsound.com
4639 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

CDBaby.com

iTunes

Amazon.com

Thank you to Zekeriyah for this review on Amazon.com !

Being from Chicago, I'm quite familiar with Lamajamal. They are a local band that often winds up performing at various Middle Eastern festival and events, so I've seen them a number of times, and can say for a fact that this recording really captures the essence of their act. Drawing upon the music of Turkey, the Arab world, the Balkans and even further afield, Lamajamal play an eclectic mix of modern and traditional that really defies categorization. With multi-lingual vocals, strong percussion, Klezmer-styled clarinet, the 'oud and even cumbus, Lamajamal is as diverse as they are fun to see live.

This CD, their first (and thus far only) recording, is a good taste of what to expect from their live shows. They do everything from Greek rembetika (on 'Aidhenikos Horos') to covers of classical Arabic music by Fairuz and Muhammad Abdel Wahhab ('Nasam Alayna el Hawa' and 'Balad el Mahbub,' respectively). But the best highlight is on 'Cocek 80,' a vibrant Macedonian folk dance that'll REALLY get you going. The name 'Gypsy Surf' is appropriate, not only because of the far-flung influences here, but also because this isn't really 'traditional' music in the strictest sense, but rather creative re-interpretations done by artists who REALLY understand the cultures and what they are doing with them. The result is incredibly awesome. My girlfriend (herself of Hungarian Gypsy extraction, incidentally) got hooked on 'world' music through this band, so I really recommend checking them out, especially if you've never heard Arabic/Middle Eastern music before. Lamajamal is one of the most creative, interesting and multi-talented bands of our time, and we are lucky to have them here in Chicago.