Eastern Europe in the spotlight at Paleo Festival

As the Paleo World Music Festival gets underway, Arnaud Robert takes a look at the Romanian group Taraf de Haïdouks ('orchestra of viceless bandits'), which kicks off this edition devoted to Eastern Europe. "This is Taraf as it is meant to be. The Rolling Stones of Roma marriage, a recurrent theme in World music social gatherings. ... The music of funerals, christenings, engagements ... Bandits of the universal - like all Roma, with a dash of class added to the mix. We are not talking about World music, nor sono mondiale, and even less about some pretentious ethno-music fest. Discovering this musical ensemble is to recognise the influences from this nomadic East that we have made our own. India, Spain, the Arab world, klezmer. The Roma are the creoles of our continent. Capable in a single generation of assimilating another culture. Clearly, thieves. But thieves who return the plunder - and then some."

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