Gadjos: New artists on the Taragot label!

Gothenburg Gadjos

We welcome the Gothenburg-based band Gadjos at Taragot, and look forward to release their EP Kemal´s Barbershop during the spring! Here, Gadjos present themselves – and log in on the Bonus page for a teaser!

Gadjo is a romani word for the other, non-Romani people, especially used about those moving within Romani culture. A bit like Gadjos perhaps. But this group has really refined and deepened their knowledge in folk musik from the Balkans. The members have been highly engaged in many traditional brass orchestras for years, and they have done trips to Serbia where they have played with stars such as Boban and Marko Marković. Gadjos came to life as a result of a desire to develop a personal passion for music from the Balkans. The band started as a trimmed down brass band, the setting was tuba, trumpet, saxophone, drums and percussion. In this smaller format they could be braver and blend in more different influences. With the tallava music from Kosovo as a foundation the band started using elements from other genres in which they are also active, such as funk and hip hop, jazz, impro and electronic music. They called this mix of styles tallafunk, and it was manifested 2013 on their debut album Gothenburg Gadjos. After touring diligently with the material from the first record, the urge to experiment grew strong again. Some of the musicians in the band have roots in Turkey, and an important part of the last years of musical experiments has been to investigate Anatolian music. When the band happened to meet the Turkish-Danish singer and bağlama virtuoso Orhan Özgür Turan, things started to fall into place. They did a concert together, and soon a deeper collaboration started. With Turkish folk songs as a base, together with the band´s various influences and a new found inspiration from rock and funk from the 70´s Turkey, Gadjos is now creating a personal and modern take on Turkish folk music. The distinct rhythm section has refined its groove even more, and the melody section is tighter than ever, combining precise rhythmics with beautiful melodic playing. And to this, Özgür Turan is adding new dimensions to the sound through his expressive singing and skilful bağlama playing, which is alternately tranquil and pretty, and dirty and rough when he picks up the electric bağlama. After a period of doing many concerts across Scandinavia, successively developing the musical concept, it was time for Gadjos to step into the studio. And now their presenting their new EP. This is Kemal´s Barbershop.

Orhan Özgür Turan – bağlama/saz
Otis Sandsjö – saxophone
Ruhi Erdogan – trumpet
Søren Bigum – guitar, hammond organ
Jonatan Ahlbom – tuba
Per Brehmer – drums
Ferhat Deniz Fors – percussion