In typical nomadic fashion after two wild parties at (Le) Poisson Rouge, the monthly NY Gypsy Fest parties are moving onto another venue. Drom will host 5th Anniversary Season Party #3 with two bands that are redefining brass music coming out of New York. Heavyweights Zlatne Uste Brass Band are not only one of the foremost presenters of traditional Balkan dance music in the US, but their repertoire spans the most important stops in the traditional music of the Balkans – in this case Serbia, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Gypsy traditions (plus every year they host the mighty Golden Festival, an 8-hour long Balkan music marathon). Coming out of the village of Brooklyn, Raya Brass Band is the latest fiery Balkan band delivering the swirling, dynamic music of northern Greece and East Europe. For this edition we welcome, straight from the West Coast, special guest DJ Amar, who has been holding it down at Electric Vardo, San Francisco’s  favorite monthly Global Gypsy Party, and the spectacular tribal fusion dancer Vorona. 

NY Gypsy Festival presents 

5th Anniversary Season Party #3 
Brass Music Mania! 

Saturday, June 13 
10pm – 4am

Zlatne Uste – Music from Serbia, Macedonia & Bulgaria by powerhouse 12-piece band

Raya Brass Band – Exuberant dance music from Greece & Eastern Europe

with special guest DJ Amar – Balkan-Bhangra Mashup

Resident DJ of Electric Vardo, San Francisco’s favorite monthly Global Gypsy Party

Tribal Fusion Dance by Vorona

Electric + Eclectic Visuals by Amar

at Drom
85 Ave A between 5th  & 6th St, New York City
Tel: 212-777-1127   21+ w/ID
$15 tickets at www.dromnyc.com

Hot on the heels of the wild success of the NY Gypsy Festival kick-off party, where 700+ fans packed the club late into the night, comes the sequel featuring more lively sounds form the East – and South. Le Poisson Rouge will host once again a night of superb musicianship and party atmosphere when Gypsy and Brazilian sounds collide for what promises to be a rapturous evening.  

 
Headlining the second edition is one of New York’s hardest working bands – the mighty Slavic Soul Party. The 11-piece band’s fiery Balkan brass, hip-grinding American grooves, and ecstatic songs, both new and old, have attracted a wide range of fans from East European to Mexican and Asian immigrant backgrounds and even American jazz, soul and brass lovers. Highlighting that brass element, Brooklyn’s very own Forró Brass Band (the latest creative output of Nation Beat ringleader Scott Kettner) will play the lively stylings of northeast Brazil with hints of New Orleans. 

Genre-bending mixologist DJ Joro-Boro, who plays anything from balkan dancehall to favela turbo funk, will be at hand for your dancing pleasure, while breathtaking Brazilian dancer Rainy and the radiant colors of face painter Painteresse Elyzabeth will provide eye candy for the night.

NY Gypsy Festival presents
5th Anniversary Season Party #2

Friday, May 15  
10:30pm – 4am

Gypsy-meets-Brazil!! 
Slavic Soul Party - Balkan-Soul-Gypsy-Funk Big Band
Scott Kettner’s Forro Brass Band - Infectiously live music from Northeast Brazil
+ DJ Joro-Boro - Carioca Balkaniada Mashup Bomba
Brazilian Dance by Rainy
Face Painting by Painteresse Elyzabeth

at (Le) Poisson Rouge
158 Bleecker St, NYC 
$15 tickets at www.lprnyc.com

Slavic Soul Party

“The players have the muscle and know-how to make Balkan sounds crackle with NYC energy… we strongly recommend you witness it live and direct.” –Time Out NY 

Fiery Balkan brass, hip-grinding American grooves, and ecstatic anthems both new and old: Slavic Soul Party! is just what it says. Brash and strong as slivovitz, these nine musicians have forged a virtuosic new brass band music in the heart of New York City melding Gypsy, East European, Mexican, and Asian immigrant backgrounds with American jazz and soul – and “developed a reputation for delivering a great time” (NY Times). One of the hardest working bands in New York, SSP! plays nearly 100 shows a year in the US, Europe, and beyond. Fans of Goran Bregovic and Emir Kusturica’s No Smoking Orchestra, take note!

Scott Kettner’s Forro Brass Band

Coming straight outta Brooklyn, Nation Beat ringleader Scott Kettner’s new band Forró Brass Band plays the music of northeastern Brazil and New Orleans. Led by Scott Kettner on drums and featuring Brian Drye on trombone, Shane Endsley on trumpet, Petr Cancura on sax, Mike Lavalle on bass and special guest on vocals.

DJ Joro-Boro

Joro-Boro imports the sound of the world as etnoteck – a mix of balkan dancehall, booty bhangra, favela turbo funk, bandari beats, sonidero cumbia, techno brass q-check and whatever else is needed to detonate a global wedding party, where everybody is related.

Painteresse Elyzabeth

Spice up your evening with the Midas touch of face painter Painteresse Elyzabeth. A professional makeup artist based in NYC, Elyzabeth works in photo/print, editorial, film, performance and dance. Glowing textures, vivid adornments and striking features – let Painteresse Elyzabeth add a splash of color to your face .. and night.

Our thanks go our to our friends at Link TV, who produced this 6-min long video with footage culled from our opening night party.

View Video

“This was kickoff night for the New York Gypsy Festival, 2009, taking last fall’s week of delirious fun at Drom to the next level … And it was a mobscene, but a comfortable one, a sold-out room full of unpretentious, multi-ethnic twentysomethings, a throwback to Saturday nights at Mehanata ten years ago with not a single $500 bedhead haircut or pair of Elton John-sized glasses anywhere in sight. These people just came from all over to party. Nobody was disappointed.”

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WOW – what an amazing night of music. Thanks to Selim Sesler, Romashka, Frank London, NY Gypsy All-Stars, DJs Wonderlust, Mephulia and 700+ fans for making our launch party such a massive success. We’ll be back in May for the second warm up party. Here are some pictures from the night at Le Poisson Rouge. More pix at the Facebook link below:

Photo (C) Cem Turer

Photo (C) Cem Turer

Photo (C) Cem Turer

Photo (C) Cem Turer

Photo (C) Lotta Zachrisson

Photo (C) Lotta Zachrisson

More Pictures (via Facebook)

The kick-off party for the festival has been written up online with more sites coming in daily. Here’s a bunch: 

Time Out NY 

WNYC 

All About Jazz

Brooklyn Vegan

Enter the wild, underground world of the Gypsies on April 11, 2009 when an all-star cast of performers, DJs, dancers and colorful characters gather to launch the 5th anniversary season of the NY Gypsy Festival. The 6-hour marathon will feature live bands and DJs in a circus-like atmosphere with dancers, palm readers and visuals at Le Poisson Rouge.

Headlining the soiree is one of Turkey’s top clarinet players, Selim Sesler, who played two packed shows at Joe’s Pub two years ago. Described as “The Coltrane of the Clarinet” by The Guardian, Sesler will join the mighty NY Gypsy All-Stars for a must-see clash of the clarinets, and high energy Balkan funk & jazz.

Also appearing are the 9-piece dance combo Romashka playing brassy Balkan beats & heart-twisting Russian tangos and heavyweight trumpeter Frank London, who brings his infectious energy and klezmer-brass sounds to the kick-off party. In their NY debut, Finnish duo Wonderlust are taking the Gypsy sound into club world by mixing music from both the west and east side of the Volga River. DJ Pepe rounds off the night with music from the Bosporus straight up the Danube River, right over the Hudson. West Village venue Le Poisson Rouge will morph into an Eastern gypsy town with visuals & decor by Wonderlust, palm reading by Mephulia and gypsy dances by the beautiful Kristina Melike – a feast not just for the ears but also for the eyes.

Saturday, April 11 10pm – 4am

NY Gypsy Festival presents 5th Anniversary Season Kick-Off Party
New York Gypsy All-Stars – High energy Balkan funk & jazz
with special guest Selim Sesler – “The Coltrane of the Clarinet” from Turkey
Romashka – Russian Gypsy dancing, tangos and tales of lost love
Frank London – Legendary leader of the NY Klezmer underground
DJ Pepe – Bosporus-meets-Balkans Mix
DJs Wonderlust – Grannies from the curves of the Volga River
Gypsy Dance by Kristina Melike
Visuals & Decor by Wonderlust
Palm reading by Mephulia

at Le Poisson Rouge
158 Bleecker St, New York