An important date on the upcoming carnival calendar is with some "gypsy madness" in the form of Gypsy Mambo, a Macedonian brass band guaranteed to get its audience on its feet, dancing the night away.
The exotic band from the Macedonian town of Kocani is a traditional set-up of nine members, with the unmistakable sound of Balkan brass bands, typical of the area and first presented to Western audiences through the films and music of Emir Kusturica and Goran Bregovic.
The popularity of these brass bands is evident at top world music festivals around the globe and is due to their crowd appeal and high-energy music, said Andrew Alamango of Fringe Productions. The company is organising the event in association with the Malta Tourism Authority and with the support of Cisk Export.
Gypsy Mambo will perform in a one-off event on February 1 at the gypsy tent in Liquid Club, San Ġwann.
Their music, referred to as Roma Oriental, is a fierce mix of powerful brass band, Balkan rhythms and oriental solos, where "raw virtuosity and boundless energy are the fuel that keep the crowds off their seats", Mr Alamango said. It is about brass bands playing tunes with an oriental twist.
Most bands play at weddings and traditional feasts for days on end, sometimes playing relentless 15-hour sets, he said.
Balkan brass bands have a significant gypsy character and, from western Serbia to Macedonia, they are incredibly creative in changing the original rigid style of traditional brass bands, Mr Alamango continued.
Gypsy Mambo was created some nine years ago in Kocani, east of Skopje, and its members come from well-known musical gypsy families, with a long-standing tradition, playing mostly Roma and Balkan music. The orchestra has participated in prominent European festivals, including Khamoro in Prague, while performing regularly in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Serbia and Montenegro, as well as in their native Macedonia.
Gypsy Mambo has released two CDs and the musicians are considered masters in their style.
Their repertoire consists of traditional songs, as well as the Bregovic classics and original tunes. Their trance-inducing arrangements are unique due to the mix of brass instruments and percussion, Mr Alamango said.
He felt they would appeal to many and provided a good opportunity to expose the Maltese to other cultures and new worlds.
The band's performance will feature an electronic intervention by DJ Danjeli, as well as an exotic surprise guest, who will be belly-dancing her way into the Turkish- and Arabic-influenced grooves.
According to the producer, the event is an opportunity to party Balkan style and dance the night away to the Balkan tunes.
The costume theme is Black Cat White Cat, the name of one of Kusturica's movies, which served to put Balkan brass bands onto the map of the Western world and earn them popularity beyond their borders.
It starts at 10 p.m. and tickets cost €12 (Lm5.15). They are available from St James Cavalier, or at the door. More information on the event and ticketing is available on www.myspace.com/jazzfringe, jazzfringemalta@gmail.com, or 7940 4134.