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The Amsterdam Klezmer Band & The Galata Gypsy Band
Katakofti (Kalan)
$16.99

Hot stuff from Turkey and Netherlands... bright Balkan beauty, dark eastern European melodies and vibrant Turkish rhythms converge into one seamless sound, masterfully performed on a broad palatte of instruments and great voices.

Listen:
Katakofti
Soski
Bambi Cafe

Musicians:

• Vocal: Job Chajes
• Vocal: Alec Kopyt
  
• Guitar: Jasper de Beer
• Oud: Mehmet Yerkabartan
• Accordion: Theo van Tol
• Violin: Selami Karaali
• Quanun: Hicret Onat
• Trompet: Gijs Levelt
• Drum: Goksel Zurna
• Drum: Remzi Urundulcu
• Darbuka: Remzi Urundulcu
• Kontrbass: Jasper de Beer
• Alto Saxophone: Job Chajes
• Trombone: Joop van der Linden
• Rhytms: Joop van der Linden
• Rhytms: Alec Kopyt
• Clarinet: Janfie van Strien
• Clarinet: Goksel Zurna
• Bariton: Joop van der Linden

Press from the record label:
The popular Dutch group De Amsterdam Klezmer Band consists of seven self-willed and sparkling musicians. The group radiates the true spirit of traditional klezmer music and never fails fo surprise with their original new compositions, incorporating other muskal styles such as blues, rap and funk. Gypsy and Balkan music have always played a part in the swinging klezmer music of the Amsterdam Klezmer Band. Using clarinet, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, accordeon, double bass and voice the Amsterdam Klezmer Band brings the infectious enthausiasm, authentic emotionalify, passion and mirth of klezmer music.

Kulsan introduced the Amsterdam Klezmer Band to the Galata Gypsy Band from Turkey, a group whose virtuoso performances on clarinet, kanun, violin as well as oud, and darbuka and other percussion instruments classes fhem among the very top musicians of Turkish Gypsy music. Folk and Balkan music together with their own particular Gypsy touch are the ingredients of their heartwarming music, with its tempo and rhythms which never fail to stir.

The Amsterdam Klezmer Band and the Galata Gypsy Band together treat their audience to an unforgettable feast of music.

Track info:
Katakofti is another name for on 8/8 time, divided into 3+2+3, which is called Müsemmen in Turkish classical music, The world Katakofti is related fo both Greek and Roma and is a compound of the words 'khat' (melody) and 'kofti' (contrary, adverse). Gypsy musicians use the term to refer to compositions which have a rhythm or melody against the grain. The makam (mode) of this song is the classical makam Zirgüleli Suzinak, but the compositlon, originally a sirto dance tune from the folk music of Thrace, is usually called Çargah Sirto by non-Gypsies. Unlike most sirto's, which are named after their makam, this one is named affer its dominant tone, Çargah. Gypsy musicians also use the name Katakofti far this particular tune Kafakofti's exuberant groove invites improvisation.

Harmandal is a well-known Turkish Gypsy tune, which usually accompanies the characteristic Zeybek dance. Harmandal? is played throughout the Aegean Sea region, from Çanakkale to Mug(la, as well as further inland in Anatolia. The piece is often performed as a düet for davul and zurna (big drum and shawm), but the Harmandal? perfarmed by the small "I.ncesaz" ensembles (clarinet, cümbüsh, violin, darbuka) is very popular too. The elasticity of the subdivision in 9 slow beats (2+2+2+3) and the melodic structure allows the performers immense freedom.

Soski: The famous rembetika musidan Giorgos Katsaros with his magic gustar playing inspired Alec Kopyt to write lyrics to this melody. On this album the magical play was performed by Mehmed Yerkabartan on oud.

Der Terkishe Yale Ve Yove: A traditional klezmer piece which was performed and recorded in the 1920's by clarinet player Naftule Brandwein. The common klezmer dance form became known as Terkishe ("Turkish") in istanbul, where many klezmer musicians lived in the late eighteenth, early nineteenth centuries. The rather agressive groove of this Terkishe inspires to rapping, which explains why Job Chajes chose it as the basis of a cheeky rap song, which tells the story of someone listening to klezmer music but choosing the wrong band entirely: If you are after some really good music, you'll have to try De Amsterdam Klezmer Band and The Galata Gypsy Band!

Didem is a melody with a 5/4 time (2+3). The original inspiration for it derives from a composition by the Turklsh Gypsy musician Selim Sesler, although this influence has become indiscernable in the final composition. Didem was written especialty for this project and is meant to be played by a very small ensemble, as a counterpoint to the fuller tutti compositions, and to create a more intimate atmosphere. The song uses an unusual combinotion of kanun and trumpet. The kanun of Hicret Onat takes centre stage as the solo instrument Gijs Levelt dedicates this piece to his friend Didem from Ankara.

Bambi Cafê takes and mixes up the characters of both bands, then adds something to the mixture. The result: Western and Turkish sounds compounded with the personal musical preferences of the composer. The song explores two different takes on a 12/8 time: 7+5 and 3+3+3+3. The cowbell and the accordion form the link and confinually play a 'clove' in unison. They provide a vehicle for the two clarinet players, with all their differences and similarities. The Bambi Cafê is located opposite the Dilson Hotel and the Shaman Club in Beyog(lu, I.stanbul, and during rehearsals and in their breaks the musicians went there to have ayran, durum döner and tasty fruit shakes, not to mention the kokoreç which some of them enjoyed.

Magnificent Seven is inspired by the unsurpassed Gypsy brass bands from the Moldavian porf of Romanio. It has a fast galloping 7/16 time accompanied by a melody which leaves the horn section hardly any chance to breathe at all. The musicians are challenged to play high-energy. lf savery danceable tune, suitable for any sparkling wedding or party! Alas, the world-famous movie by the same name had little to do with the naming of this piece of music...

Elfje is a Bulgaria orientel song with on 11/8 time. Guitar-banjo and kanun merge and became as one instrument when they play the melody in unison. The song starts off wlth o magnificent doina/taksim with a mystical vibe on the Turkish clarinet. Accordion and baritone form the rhythm section. Janfie van Strien and Göksel Zurna end up baftling it out on clarinet. The result is fairy fale music which fits the title of the piece ("elf" is Dutch for both "eleven" and "fairy"). Elfje has an hypnotic and some that manic atmosphere, characteristic of the compositions of Jasper de Beer.

Moya Raba: Alec Kopyt took this song from a recording by the Greek rembetika singer A.Kostis, renowned for his urban realism. At the time Alec listened to many rembetika CD's and wrote his own lyrics to these songs in Russian. Rembetika originated as the urban folk music of the Greek population in Ottomon Izmir, and was later brought to Greece. The songs are reminiscent of Odessa, Ukraine, where Alec grew up.

On the Fly: Original klezmer/Gypsy based composition in which the Amsterdam Klezmer Band chases the first beaf of each bar in a repetitive theme. Clarinet and trumpet ascilate through the chords, accompanied by a fast torontella. The contemporary sound of klezmer from Amsterdam, as recorded in Istanbul.

Tulum Havas, here performed by the Galata Gypsy Band, is one of the most popular pieces of Turkish folk music and derives direcrly from the Gypsies of Thrace. The piece is named ofter the tulum or gayda, a type of bagpipe played in the Balkans and Thrace. A special charactenstic of the tulum is the double tone that if produces. The Gypsy muscians prove their virtuosity by achieving the some effect without the use of a tulum. VI.olinist Selami Karaali bows hvo strings at the same time, producing a two-part melody.

Di Naie Chuppe: This is a newly written klezmer song, impired by recordings from the United Sfates from fhe 1920s. Clarinet players such as Naffule Brandwein and Dave Tarras recorded many klezmer tunes during this period. For the Amsterdam Klezmer Band those recordings are a source of inspiration. The 'Chuppe' is a piece meant for dancing using slow, large movements.

Limonchiki is originally a Yiddish street song from Odessa which was first performed on stage by Leonid Ufyosov and his legendary Big Jazz Band. Limonchiki (denoting bank notes of one million) is also the title song of the third Amsterdam Klezmer Band CD and constitutes a guaranteed party smash hit worldwide.

Bahriye Çiftetellisi: The çiftetelli appears in many variations in the folk music of Western and Central Turkey. The different compositions based on this popular rhythm each have their own name, combined with the generic name çiftetelli Çiftetelli means "with one pair of strings" and is named after the two-string bag(lama an which this dance tune was originally performed. Gypsies like to play the çiftetelli at the celebratians of non-Gypsies, who they call Baro-Gaci (non-self). Çiftetelli is the dance musI.c most commanty used by the female Gypsy (Çengi) and Oriental (Dansöz) dancers. The song, and with it the entire album, is cancluded with a bane-chilling solo on clarinet by Göksel Zurna.