BBC - Awards for World Music 2008

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22:00Composer of the Week

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OJOS DE BRUJO (Spain
Techari Live
Ojos de Brujo album cover

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Straight outta Barcelona, Catalan collective Ojos De Brujo (“Eyes of the Wizard”) demonstrate that city’s energy and character with a sound they describe as “jipjop flamenkillo”. Makes no sense? Well, on paper perhaps not but the nine-piece band employ all their musical magic to whip up a mix of sounds that marks them out as unique. Colourful too: Ojos De Brujo are regularly lauded as one of the planet’s most dynamic live bands.

Barcelona has long been home to artists, immigrants and radical politics: Ojos De Brujo grew out of the city’s rich flux of cultures and ideas. Influenced both by the historic Gypsy community in Gracia (a central Barcelona barrio) – Peret, pioneer of Catalan Rumba and a Gitano icon, is a major inspiration – they employ many words from Kalo (the Spanish Romany language) and pay homage to Gypsy notions of freedom and immediacy. Catalan rumba provides the band’s base onto which they weld rapping and DJ Panko’s furiously percussive scratching, both flamenco and rock guitar and some tasty Hammond organ grooves. Cajón (flamenco’s wooden crate) and palmas (the rhythmic handclapping that is such a part of Spanish culture) mix with Colombian percussionist Beto’s Afro-Latino beats. The resulting sound clash makes for a dynamic synthesis and captures the excitement and possibilities of 21st Century Spain.

Ojos De Brujo came together in the late 1990s as various like-minded performers gathered around the Ramblas in Barcelona and began to make music. Initially fronted by Dani Monoloko – a well known Barcelona rocker –, the band have since had the beautiful Marina la Callinas join as lead singer. Having changed singers after their debut album, Ojos De Brujo developed from a raw, punk-flamenco hybrid into today’s epic musical tapestry. The band have since gone on to win wide international popularity, rocking festivals across Europe and touring widely.

Ojos De Brujo have so far released 2001’s debut Vengue, 2003’s acclaimed Bari, 2006’s Techari (Calo for "free") and, most recently, the Techari Live 2007 CD-DVD.

Garth Cartwright

www.ojosdebrujo.com
CD Review on BBC Music

Read other people's comments then

Tell us what you think:

Shri - California
Bold music and bolder statmentsThey fuse music from different culturse and genres with such ease and yet retain the Spanish touch.Bari and Techari are easily the best work from this fascinating band.

jo schermuly
As a Brazilian, just Love the rhytm, also the contribution from Brazil (Maria Rita).Thank you !!

Emrah
they are rebels, musicians and artists. they have things to sing and things to say. so they say and they sing. listen it...

Manuel (Germany)
The "Techari" Tour was probably one of the best performances of the year.

Hugh (Singapore)
Outstanding discovery for me. Thank you!