BALKAN ALIEN SOUND appear live at McGIRLS BAR, BALLINAMORE, Co. LEITRIM on SAT 12 JUNE , this gig will be an outside event (if it does rain we will move the gig into the big stone shed, but its not going to rain anyways). There will be hot food available (fallafels) at a reasonable price as well as the lovely pints served in Liam’s bar. BALKAN ALIEN SOUND play great gypsy klezmer dancing music, just what’s needed for a summer nights entertainment!
Entry is a recession beating €5, wow – that’s unbelievably good value!!!
http://www.myspace.com/balkanaliensound
Balkan Alien Sound founded in 2007 after Bouzouki player Martin Coyle returned to Ireland from his travels and studies of Eastern European and Balkan music and culture. With a vast interest in the folk and gypsy music of the Balkan regions and Klezmer music he approached a group of his close musician friends to form what is now Balkan Alien Sound.
The seven piece ensemble ranges from Irish traditional players, Blues and Jazz musicians and Classical and Folk players. With this melting pot of backgrounds Balkan Alien Sound provide their own fresh take on the music of Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Macedonia and Turkey along with various other gypsy styling and improvisation. The instrumentation of the group is mostly string based with Bouzouki, Violin, Bass/Contra Bass and Guitar, but also has Accordion, Whistles, Percussion and regional Vocals from various Balkan countries.
The music that comes from this is often fast and furious demanding to be danced to verging on ska with odd time signatures and rhythms often ending in riotous crowd participation. However they also approach the slower folk songs of Serbia, Bulgaria and Macedonia which vocalist Aideen McGinn tackles with precision and subtlety.
Over the last year in particular the bands popularity has grown both in Ireland, the UK and Europe and they have played numerous festivals such as: DERRY JAZZ FESTIVAL – DERRY, LIFE FESTIVAL – GALWAY, TRANS FESTIVAL – BELFAST, GASYARD FEILE – DOIRE, DERRY FOLK FEILE – DOIRE, GLASGOWBURY FESTIVAL – IRELAND, RED LINE FESTIVAL – DUBLIN, SACRED TRINITY, CHURCH – MANCHESTER, EURO-CULTURE FESTIVAL – DUBLIN/MANCHESTER, BOMBETA FOLK FESTIVAL – BARCELONA, GLASTONBURY MUSIC FESTIVAL UK 2010 – HAVE JUST BE CONFIRMED FOR THIS YEARS GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL!!!!
The group hold down residency spots in bars in Derry and Donegal, Ireland and regularly invite bands from other Countries to come to stay and play in Ireland along with Balkan Alien Sound – most recently The Underscore Orkestra, U.S.A. and Txutxukan, France. As well as this they work closely with the Derry and Donegal Arts Councils providing music for outdoor events such as STREET THEATRE GROUPS and CIRCUS ACTS.
