Balkan beats invade Cape Town this weekend.
- ‘[A] truly pomo Gypsy brass record – asses freed in a corkscrew kind of way, minds likewise,” rhapsodised Dean of American Rock critics Robert Christgau in his review of Balkan Beat Box’s landmark Nu Med (2007). You can understand why. Over the past seven years Ori Kaplan (saxophone), Tamir Muskat (drums, programming) and Tomer Yosef (emcee) have been on mission to re-imagine traditional Balkan and Mediterranean folk music by incorporating a melting pot of contemporary moods ranging from dub reggae, dancehall and souk to hip hop, rock and electronica. Incorporating Balkanoid brass, Greek guitars, and Arab and Bulgarian guest singers into their ‘New Mediterranean” mix, Balkan Beat Box also recoup ‘world’ music’s cultural mission to party with a purpose, exploring a range of political topics including immigration, racism, gun control and more. Imagine bebop saxophonist Charlie Parker and Franco-Basque singer songwriter Manu Chao jamming with Algerian Rai-electro-punk rocker Rachid Taha and Serbian trumpeter Boban Marković and you’re almost there. The Nomadic Orchestra adds the brassy septet support alongside DJ Toby2shoes.
Harrington Street Parking Lot, East City, January 21, 8pm. Entrance is R180. Book at www.webtickets.co.za
- Few punters who witnessed Tony Cox and Steve Newman spontaneously swap spit after they’d run out of songs for their third encore in a sold out Baxter Concert Hall back in 1982 would’ve imagined that the acoustic guitar duo would still be trading licks some three decades later. But here they are, back at the venue that gave them their first big break to celebrate 30 years of performing together, as well as the release of their brand new album, Return of the Road Warriors. Audiences can expect a truly ‘global’ blend of celebratory South American rhythms and percussive African melodies that sidesteps commercial constraints to segue between rib-tickling renovations of old favourites off their classic album 101 Ways To Use the Acoustic Guitar as well as new unplugged conversations.
The Baxter Concert Hall, Main Road, Rondebosch, January 24 to 29, 9pm. Entrance is R160. Book at Computicket.