Tell us what you think:

Al, Derbyshire, England
Classical music would not have been part of my childhood if it wasn't for him. I'm sure lots of other people my age have the same story. He achieved what he set out to do by bringing the music he loves to people who would not typically be the 'sort' to go to a classical music concert. I think he expresses his true self in music, but can come across as zany or awkward in person. I recently read his autobiography and didn't realise he had such a difficult time growing up. One of my heroes.

Nemanja, Beograd, Srbija!
He is the best! Fully respect! I´m listening now his album East Meat East with music from my country. It`s funny how he plays gipsy songs on "english" way :) I recomanded this cd to all. And it`s best to listen first that songs in it`s original versions.

svetlana bulgaria
i think that nigel is great with kroke i love the iovano iovanke performance

Above Water,US
Nigel is really embarrasing him-self with his antics.He is destroying his popularity for what? It's plain sad.

Been There,USA
Dear Joanne from Putney.....how do you know that those "acidic" women haven't already been in Agnieska's shoes BEFORE Agnieska?Nobody wants to be Agnieska because without Nigel Kennedy,nobody would have ever heard of her.

michal, warsaw
go to www.kroke.krakow.pl. check out and enjoy one of the best teams of the world!!!!

Ron
Listen to the gig

Ros in Cornwall
Nigel Kennedy is absolutely fantastic. I only have the Kafka album - what else has he made?

RoRo England
I am a secondary school student in Cornwall. I found a CD of Kafka by chance the other week and haven't been able to stop playing it!! It makes me wonder how much other great music I'm missing out on!

Joanna from Putney
I am not a music professional and I do not know about the Kroke being too "hard core", or "too commercial". I found it brilliant, I admire Nigel for having courage to search and to be himself. Is it also true that some people feel anxious and worried that their native saint can find something valid which is beyond their islad? And what about those acidic women who would like to be where Agnieszka is?

Kate - Australia
Oh come on people! What's the big deal about a few swear words? Who honestly cares? It is quite obvious that this is his public image, which has helped to make him well-known, alongside his obvious musical talent. The shock value created by his swearing is precisely what he has set out to achieve. Maybe it's time for offended individuals in the audience to grow up!

Jackie--Taiwan
Kennedy is the Best!!

hails/australia
love him!

Captain Barbossa,Carribean
Happy Birthday Nigel Kennedy, December 28,2005 you Capricorn Showman Monkey You!!Long last your accent,haircut and sense of humor!!!!

Veronica Bala from Romania, Europe
i saw nigel accidentally at a show of ours and he mesmerized me!i'm so sorry i missed his concert in romania :((i didn't know him then.hope he'll come again.hello to romanian listeners of nigel!!

AndiStadl from Germany
Breathlessly listening, crying like a child. What an emotional power! Thank you, all musicians. And thank you, BBC, for the service.

In better form,Philadelphia,USA
It is really gross and rude as Nig- el flips the bird.Can't someone teach this guy some manners?

Bush Overdrive,Kent,U.K.
Kate Bush has a new album out.I assume she recorded it in the U.K. and not Krakow.Where's Nigel?

Tooth Fairy,Usa
Have you noticed that Nigel has a huge overbite,sort of a lisp?He needs good dentalwork!!

Braindead Fear,Bath UK
It's surprizing that someone like Nigel Kennedy,with his resources, who has claimed he has always been into all types of music,isn't pro- viding anything stimulating for audiences to listen to!!Seems like Poland has brainwashed him into being boring.The most exciting things he can come up with is a worse version of his old recordings?When he was recording with Kate Bush he was in a creative space?I don't think Peter Gabriel should put up with this?

Kriesler Connection,Australia
Why doesn't Nigel explore Kriesler while he tours Australia?That's where his father is from and his grandfather Lauri Kennedy used to play with him?

Das No,Munich,Germany
Poor Pietor Daniel, He gets stuck touring Elgar and Mylnarski with Nigel in his native Germany!!Now that's devotion,hee, hee.....!!!!

Too Bad,USA
"Kafka" was the trigger of down- slide for Nigel Kennedy.Just lis- ten to the lyrics and you can hear his dilemna right there.Sad.

Old Pro,USA
Who the heck is Mlynarski and who would pay good money to see it?!!! EMI is wisening up to redistribute his previous works,Beethoven,Brahms and redistributing Vivaldi would have been good enough too.Also the Hendrix.He was really in his prime in the early 90's.Funny he hasn't moved forward,but backward?Too bad Brix Smith moved on?!!!!!!!

Scary no more,USA
I read where Nigel Kennedy will be hocking his Vivaldi with the "Po- lish" chamber orchestra in France on Halloween night.Now that's sad.

Enough too Much,USA
Come next year Nigel will be 50 years old!!For pete's sake,if he's in Romania,why doesn't he explore some gypsy music?You'd think by now he'd act his age and GROW UP!! Nigel,you really should explore!! Will you still be babbling the same story at 60?

alex-romania
when I saw for the first time (a few days ago) I thought life is worth liveing...honestly I didn t think there are still liveing people like Nigel...and that really changed my life....I thank to god because Nigel exists...

Home Sweet Eccentric,USA
Back to John Drummond,lets let Nig- el Kennedy be the Liberace of the 90's,buy him a candelabra for Chri- stmas so we can ALL GO HOME!!!!!!!

Stand Up,Kentucky,USA
I saw Nigel Kennedy doing his act 15 years ago on the "Lonesome Pine TV Special",a little bit of Viv,a little jazz with Fareed Haque and many comic lines.His european ver- sion of it is more dismal with not much comic relief,depressing.These collaborations are gloomy,he should go back into comedy,where his stand up can be understood.Poland would be too glooomy for Mark O'Conner.

Carbon Copy,Malvern UK
Nigel seems to be low on originali- ty since his school days.Yehudi Me- nhuin records Elgar,experiments in jazz,takes a post in Poland..Nigel does the "same" thing.The only or- ginal thing is his appearance in hair and clothes.Maybe he should do a chat show on those things?

Spelling Bee,USA
Why is the name of this album "East" meets "East"?Nigel is obviously from the "West". The title of the album itself makes it false advertising.

Rebel Yell,UK
Don't think Gary Oldman would do a bio-pic of the Kroke Band.Sid Vis- cious,yes,Dracula,yes,Kroke no.EMI must be getting funny in the head. Nigel,go back to your origins,a punk.

Eyes open,USA
Szmul, You're on the right track minus the "typo",of instead of if.Maybe your insight could shed light on this whole sordid thing.

Dragan, Serbia
Nigel,we love You. Serbia. Thanks!

lara wales
rubbish and boring

Szmul Wasersztajn
"Szmul...Finally you expressed the fact the Kroke is obscure till NIGEL KENNEDY brought them round. " Obscure? Surely among clubbers and dance music lovers. I was given a copy if Kroke demo tape by a friend in 1992. That tape was unfortunately devoured by my daughter, so I searched and found lots of new material (and this forum). Yet I have to admit, they are too "hard core" to become popular. IMHO The album with Kennedy is way too commercial for the real fans to put up with, and real Kroke is too "hardcore" for others to listen to them. Szmul

Flair for the unique,USA
I think Nigel is so unique and sells so much is because of his personality!!Violinists are a dime a dozen.But with Nigel,he's just so bizarre.I would no more buy a record of polish ogres playing the violin,even if they were good, BORING!!!!!!!!!!!

Really Curious,USA
Hey, Let's see Agnieska do anything?!!! Can you demonstrate any talent you have for us please?!!!!!!!!!!!! How about even a picture and resume?!!!!!!!!

Honest and silly,USA
Dear Pavel from Krakow, Can Nigel Kennedy speak fluent polish?Don't think before he hooked up with crock,I mean Kroke he ever did.Perhaps at that time he would be a snobby islander.Off your list huh?But for the publicity I'm sure he's on your list now.Just think of his expansive career before crock even existed?!!!

ron b , london
errr... why can't listen to the set??? No 'Listen to the gig' on this page.

Pawel, Krakow
How petty of me to point that Farnol Knowls seems to be a typical example of English meanness and arrogance. The majority of the English cannot speak any foreign language, so your nitpicking at her typo speaks for itself. Where is your style islanders?

Relief Fund,USA
Szmul...Finally you expressed the fact the Kroke is obscure till NIGEL KENNEDY brought them round. Nigel's had an international repu- tation as The Bad Boy of music with a shaved head who plays like an angel for YEARS.C'mon Guys?Those from Poland,get your facts straight!!!!

Farnol Knowls
Dear Ola from Poland, Nigel Kennedy is actually spelled with 2 n's.Maybe you attended the same university as Agnieska.

Dave, Reading
I thoroughly enjoyed Nigel's set with Kroke. OK, so he's a bit colourful. Geniuses are allowed to be eccentric; besides, life is boring if everything is grey. Lighten up people. And get to WOMAD in the flesh. It's brilliant. And I had the pleasure to meet him as he wandered round the festival after playing.

Szmul Waserszajn, Sztetl
Let's hope this will make Kroke more popular. I saw them in a small jazz club in Poland - there are yet to be discovered by the world.

i'd liked it
excellent kroke and nigel kennedy , trying to hear it again is it on the site still.

Susanne - Devon
I have for many years been a staunch fan of Nigel Kennedy. He has always had his eccentricities but no one can take away the man's musical talent. The reason he is so popular is because he rebelled against the stuffy establishment and brought classical music to the ordinary person. Let's face it, if no one ever decided to 'do their own thing' it would be a very dull world indeed. I accept the bad language from Nigel only because he has a genius talent - and thinking back, wasn't Mozart a little crazy? Also, what about Elton John? He has had his moments too but no one can truly doubt any of their astounding musical talents. Ok we might not like the bad language but we should look beyond it to the inner person - there is always a reason for everything and under the surface lie explosive hypotheses, inspirational minds; and if we look very carefully into Nigel's psyche, we see a sensitive, caring human being - remember the tears rolling down the cheek, caught on video whilst recording the Brahms Violin Concerto?

Mary Swindon
Mesmerising and captivating. Now have to buy CD as have decided only to buy DVD's from now on. Carry on BBC bringing such music to us

DAVID from BRIXHAM
I found Nigel`s set with Kroke absolutely MIND-BLOWING. I could have gone on listening to it for ever. A performance of sheer brilliance.

Mike. Wolverhampton
I missed the first part of the concert, and presumeably Nigel's pointless swearing. I have to say that I've always thought the man behaves and talks like an absolute pratt. Great violinists aren't so rare that we have to put up with his patronising "working man's" way of communicating, and all the other nonsense he's spouted over the years. However, I was astonished at his/their superlative playing and obvious love for this music. I'm not sure I'd want him in the back of my cab, but he's welcome in the CD player. Let's hope he reads all the adverse comments herein, and decides to tone down his unconvincing and annoying image.

OLA Poland
To "ananymous friend" and Farnol Knowls: what you're saying about Mr. Kenedy's wife is very offending - Agnieszka is a law student at one of the best colleges in Europe and believe me she knows a lot about everything, while you can't even write her name. Then it's very mean to say they married because of a green card! Especially that you probably have never had a chance to meet and talk to them.

Melanie, Austin, Texas usa
I have just discovered Kroke. I am a Argentine Tango dancer and recently attended a tango event in Seattle, Washington usa, where a DJ at a party played Time by Kroke. I have never heard applause for recorded music at a tango event. It was exceptional. Going in search of Kroke on the web and reading all your comments was very enlightening. My world is expanding in the most delightly way. Thanks ME

Gill Whitehurst
I so want to contact this man and say how much I loved Kafka and this stuff to. He does't seem to have a web site. I don't care if he can.t contain what he holds enough to not swear, but surely he is channelling!Nigel I do not have your talent butnI feel it.

HGM High Wycombe
I will admit I wasn't familar with the music of Kroke but I thought the set was stunning. Okay so Kennedy can be an annoying, arrogant person - what genius isn't? The beauty of WOMAD is it showcases a wide range of music unlike the V and Carling festivals. No one is going to love every act but I for one thought the crazy fiddler was brilliant.

Pat from NW London
I thought Nigel Kennedy's set was exhilerating and uplifting. Absolutely wonderful. I will not be a hypocrite and criticise his swearing, I swear like a trouper myself and I am a middle aged lady. I have had my own battles in life which left me jaded and bitter and I recognise that maybe he has had his. When you are different or up against an established inflexible system you realise how powerless you are. I don't think I would have let a two year old stay up so late, in all that smoke - which got on my chest, and with such a dreadfully deafeningly loud base on nearly all the artists' sets. Why do we have to be smoked to a kipper, fried in the mid-day sun, and completely deafened at WOMAD? Not to mention the people who insisted on standing up so we couldn't see anything at all. These are the people to complain about, not Nige. I heard Nige and Kroke but couldn't see them at all, not once.

Farnol Knowls,England
I heard that Agnieska,Nigel's maid for Sark didn't have a green card to travel.Marrying Nigel was a smart move for her and strange move for him.

Keely Point,USA
Maybe Nigel should change soccer supporting from Aston Villa to David Beckham,get John Stanly back to bolster his career,move from Malvern and go mainstream with more activity in the U.S.He could make a splash if he let go of Poland and Elgar and did something more creative.With Nigel,it's possible if he let's go of his shortsighted ness.

Torra Wen,USA
If Nigel could get inspiration of someone,maybe Johnny Depp would be better than Lech Wallesa.Since when did Lech shave his head or trash hotel rooms?Or make as much money per commercial release?

Ananymous friend
Nigel used to play with such intua tive passion,It's suprizing to see him advocating Polish elevator mus ic!!!!!!If he wants passion not weighed down by "life's"responsibi lities,marrying a polish maid who probably knows zilch about music maybe he should go to Romania for inspiration or France where he was a pupil of Nadia Boulanger and lead more of a gypsy life.He used to like vampires and his hair and quirkyness was always part of his charm.

bill, aldershot
gorgeous playing, wonderful music, horrible little oik. my 9-year old daughter was hugely amused by his badmouthing. thanks for that nige! AND i had to explain Aston Villa. No easy task at the best of times!!

carol from bristol
one of the highlights of WOMAD enjoyed and remembered by all in our party, beautiful, mellow,magical, dreamy & wonderful.

Charles Thompson - Chester
What ashame N. Kennedy has ruined the wonderful music of Kroke. Let's hope they realise what a pretencious primadonna he is and send him packing, so that they can get back to their pre Kennedy brilliant best.

Steve Howe, Chester
Re your choice of 'listen to 3 tracks' on the website. What a pity they were the three worst of the set- the 'nigel-centric' material as opposed to the sublime earlier part. Any chance of putting this material online too? I'd love to hear those sweet, sad melodies once more.

Andrew from Hampshire
I don't see what Kennedy adds to Kroke - they always were fantastic before he hooked up with them. As far as I can tell, all he added was a bit of swearing and some stupid introductions. Tomasz Kurkurba's just as good as Kennedy anyway!

jack, milton keynes
if the price we have to pay for music like that is a few minutes of unnecessary language, it more than justifies the cost. Unprocessed product is the best, you just have to discard the tough bits. Better than processed any day.

HILARY JAY- CAMBRIDESHIRE
STUDYING THE JOURNEY OF THE ZITHER STUNNED BY THE TIDE WAVE OF KROKE NOW` STRINGING` A MAP TO POLAND !! thank you Nigel for being eclectic

Peter from Deddington
The music was fantastic, and there were tears running down cheeks at its beauty. What a pity Kennedy had to talk. His introductions were lame and added little. Also the set was promised to be 75 minutes; I guess we got about 40. Ill tempered and foul mouthed prima Donna he may be (and that latter is unforgivable), but I have to buy an album.

Roy Douglas - Bristol
To criticise his behaviour so harshly as Liz Hirons is neither fair nor understanding. Kennedy is a complex man of genius, awkward and difficult at times, who has had to rebel to establish his own identity. Yes, he can come across at times as pretty crass. BUT the man is just sublime! His performance at WOMAD with Kroke brought tears to my eyes, at times the exhilaration was overwhelming, and the audience made clear its appreciation of what it heard. Quite brilliant.

Mark Burgess Hill
first half of the set was pure brilliance latter part was a bit like listening to a prog rock band with nigel kennedy rocking out. There was a few problems on the personalty front no need for the language. I hope that kroke now go back to doing there own wonderful thing they do not really need NK

Bill Hale Pangbourne
The man is uniqie and has the ultimate talent. But he saw little 2 year olds on shoulders staring up at him adoringgly. And his response was to swear in their faces. Grow up Nigel

Michael Smith, Glasgow
The classical violin and the genius of its exponents bring a beauty and pleasure into this world which those of us who listen cannot fail to appreciate - even if we cannot play ourselves. Why then with all this beauty must we listen to a musician of undoubted ability - nay, genius - swear away the pleasure of the moment and ruin the atmosphere originally created by great composers? Nigel Kennedy does nothing for me!!

Bill from Milton Keynes
Must confess that for much of the weekend I was yearning for something edgier than the smiley-faced, traditional-costumed, clap-your-hands fare that made up much of the programme. However, Nigel Kennedy wasn't what I had in mind. Didn't someone somewhere else mention Asian Dub Foundation? Where were they when we needed them?

Andy, Chelmsford
I'm with Liz on this one: Kennedy is a buffoon. I'm long enough in the tooth to remember Kroke's mesmerising WOMAD debut in '97. To my ears Kennedy's virtuosic grandstanding only detracts from their music.

Rob, Reading UK
The set was excellent except for Nigel's lead guitar like solos in a couple of numbers which rather spoiled things. It has made me determined to see Kroke on their own!

Baz, Forest of Dean
I hope I don't cause offence when I say this but, whilst I can understand the idea that some people can be offended by the guy's "occasional colourful vocalizing", you have to accept that Nigel Kennedy is who he is. Should he have prepared a nice speech or perhaps worn a nicely coloured kaftan to "get in the spirit of things"? Okay so social decorum isn't his major concern here...quite honestly, so what? He showed himself to be what we came to see and hear - an absolute master of his art. His performance with Kroke was nothing less than a sensation! I, my wife Rita and our friends were all mesmerised by his talent and the fact that he was more than happy to enjoy the rest of the festival amongst us "ordinary punters" simply proves that, whilst he may be up there with the Gods of Musical Genius, he is still one of us. Respect Nige!!

Gwen, Nelson, New Zealand
I got to hear a bit over the cellphone from my son while he was there and am just catching up on BBC Radio on the net. Sounds pretty good to me. Wish I was there! Roll on Taranaki 2005

Adam, Slough
I enjoyed immensely the music of Nigel Kennedy and Kroke. His talent is unquestionable. I had been Biased againt Kennedy until I heard his contribution to the U. Srinivas album, Dream. However He should be gagged for his performances.

Richard Lee
Outside Reading RAILWAY station on Monday lunchtime, Kennedy held court at the adjacent Three Guineas pub. He was sat at the tables outside playing away on the violin with a couple of guitarists who couldn't quite believe their luck. Not to mention the punters, who clearly recognised him. We sat there from 1-2.30pm listening to him. Presumably he was there both before and after that time.

Steve Howe, Chester
Kroke are a major discovery for me- one of my festival faves without a doubt. The sheer sweetness and sadness of the melodies in the first part of the set brought tears to my eyes. Shame about wee Nigel's mouth however. He may play like an angel but he talks bollocks. And his evident ignorance on stage of such basics as 'who wrote this?' and his reference to 'Serbia being quite near to Bulgaria' had me and many around me cringing. i personally could have done without the 'guitar hero' heavy electric stuff in the last two numbers.. and an encore would have been nice too.

Joe Bilby: WOMAD Trader
Nigel and Kroke were absolutely stunning at WOMAD - an earth shattering, head spinning performance!

Liz Hirons, Rochester, Kent
Sorry, there was absolutely no justisfication for this virtuoso's behaviour at WOMAD - his swearing because of problems with his sound system came not long after the gracious apologies from Roka Traore whose performance was delayed because her instruments had not arrived - no swearing from her! And his sad attempts at 'respect' made him the David Brent of the event. No, we should not forgive him his excesses when he represents this country at a world event - despite his genius with the violin he has yet to learn how to behave in public. Also, contrast his efforts with the humility and dignity of the performers in Sunday's Gala performance. Sad little little man.

Jill - Derbyshire
I was transfixed.

John Senior UK Suffolk
NIGEL KENNEDY & KROKE. A stunning mixture of rythms and influences - the dark mystery of Eastern European glowing musical colours combined with the skill of a genius. I was transported out of myself and lied for minutes within the music. 'Time' and 'Tribute' just breathtaking.

Michael - London
A brilliant performance and the finale was breathtaking - moving effortlessly from melody and rhythm to new melody and rhythm like a hot knife though chilled butter -

Sarah, Suffolk
This set was absolutely fantastic and vibrantly energetic. Great!

Rod. South Lakes
Kennedy and Kroke were brilliant. East European fiddling with passion. They took me there

Peter and Lynnet from London
NIGEL KENNEDY's set at WOMAD was outstanding (despite the dodgy sound system which took forwver to set up) - he blew us all away !!!