MORTISSA / Çiğdem Aslan (Asphalt Tango Records)
Release date: 27th Sept 2013

Çigdem Aslan (pronounced Cheedem) is a rising star in the revival of rebetiko, the bitter-sweet, devil-may-care songs of an exiled underclass, sung in hash dens and 'Café Amans' of Athens, Piraeus and Istanbul from the 1920. ‘Mortissa’ (a strong independent woman) is an album of smyrneika/rebetiko songs in Greek and Turkish. Although there have been many recordings of rebetiko over the years, Çigdem Aslan presents a fresh take, an immigrant herself from her homeland, a person from a minority ethnic group, a female singer in a usually male genre.

MORE INFO:
http://www.asphalt-tango.de/records/aslan/cigdem_aslan_mortissa.html

CIGDEM ASLAN on FACEBOOK:
www.facebook.com/CigdemAslanOfficial

CIGDEM ASLAN on TOUR:
www.facebook.com/CigdemAslanOfficial/events

Mortissa

Sto Kafe Aman

Cigdem Aslan / Sto Kafe Aman from "MORTISSA"

Taken from the new Fanfare Ciocarlia album "It Wasn't Hard To Love You" - released Sept. 10th, 2021 on Asphalt Tango Records. Check the full album on Bandcamp or on all known streaming services.

It Wasn't Hard To Love You

Just The Two Of Us - Borat Version

Adrian Raso & Fanfare Ciocarlia "DEVIL'S TALE"

The eastern force field of Balkan brass meets Gypsy Jazz guitar, Romania's Fanfare Ciocarlia joins up with Canadian guitarist Adrian Raso. Could a string musician find a way into Fanfare s fierce Balkan brass blast? Could the legends of brass adapt their horns to the fluid eloquence of a jazz guitarist? The answer, as heard on this album, is one of brilliant defiance. The Romanians and the Canadian have created a sound
that rips and swings and roars!

MORE INFO: www.asphalt-tango.de/records/devils_tale/devils_tale.html
ARTISTS WEBSITES: www.fanfare-ciocarlia.com, www.adrianraso.net
YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/AsphaltTangoRecords

Devil's Tale

Swing Sagarese

Adrian Raso & Fanfare Ciocarlia / Swing Sagarese from "DEVIL'S TALE"

There’s a point where the rhythm of the cumbia, the sound of Cuba and Balkan music all come together. And it’s right in the heart of the Jaro Milko & The Cubalkanics. It’s a place without borders, wild and wonderful; it’s Milko’s creation, where surf guitar, Cuban son and the powerful hit of Gypsy brass dance side by side. The five-piece Swiss band fuse his vision into a unique, delicious whole on their debut Cigarros Explosivos! 

Jaro Milko first put the Cubalkanics together four years ago, his own guitar along with organ, drums, percussion and trombone. “I was thinking of the people more than the instruments when I set the lineup,” he explains. “I knew I wanted a band with a different sound, and we don’t have a bass player.” But in trombonist Luke Briggen he has a secret weapon. “He actually plays some of the basslines. He has a pedal that lowers the notes by an octave. To me it sounds just like Balkan brass and that’s what I want.” With Eric Gilson’s organ picking up the rest of the bottom end, “which is very ‘60s,” they were set.

The Cubalkanics quickly began recording and playing shows to hone their sound. But they took their time to let it all develop, and the irresistible Cigarros Explosivos! is the result. The offbeat syncopation offers a nod to ska while keeping its feet dancing in Latin America, and many of the melodies and lyrics are homages to time spent in Cuba.

MORE INFO: www.asphalt-tango.de/records/jaro-milko/cigarros_explosivos.html
ARTIST WEBSITE: www.cubalkanics.com

Cigarros Explosivos!

Cumbia Griega

Jaro Milko & The Cubalkanics / Cumbia Griega from "CIGARROS EXPLOSIVOS"

Good things take time. After the exhilarating success of Devil’s Tale (2014) - where Romanian brass masters Fanfare Ciocarlia joined forces with acclaimed Canadian jazz-rock guitarist Adrian Raso - the album soared to the top of the European World Music Charts and set the stage for unforgettable tours. The verdict was unanimous: Let’s do it again. And now, the wait is over. The sparks have flown once more, the magic has ignited: The Devil Rides Again! Since bursting onto the global music scene in 1997 from a small Moldovan village, Fanfare Ciocarlia has dazzled audiences with their blazing brass sound. They’ve helped make Balkan music hip, appearing in major films, and inspiring musicians, DJ’s, and writers worldwide. Known for their high-energy performances, these Gypsy brass legends love to perform, entertain, and tour. Meanwhile, in Canada, jazz and rock guitarist Adrian Raso has been keeping busy with myriad musical projects, his playing as elegant and dapper as his tailoring. While Devil’s Tale was an ambitious musical experiment - a bold fusion of styles -the recording of The Devil Rides Again was proof that their chemistry was undeniable. This time around, Raso, playing guitars and banjo, leads the brass powerhouse through eight original instrumental compositions, as well as fresh takes on Dolly Parton’s Jolene and The Spencer Davis Group’s I’m A Man. The album is crowned with a stunning reinterpretation of Django Reinhardt’s Blue Drag. “Tarantella Noir is a homage to the music in the south of Italy, which is so expressive, dynamic, and hypnotic. You can hear the influence of so many cultures within it,” Raso explains. “As for Transylvania Twist... well,” he laughs, “just imagine Dracula on a surfboard! The Bulgarian-style sax solo is one of my favorite moments on the album.” Reuniting with Fanfare Ciocarlia after nearly a decade, Raso notes “it always amazes me to hear how diverse the brass section has become over the years.” The admiration is mutual. “Adrian’s music has the sound of a smile,” says saxophonist Oprică Ivancea. “We love to poach in other music genres and Adrian's passion for hunting is identical to ours. The opportunity to take a step back during our set and play some Balkan sounding jazz, a country song, a rock song and a beautiful Django tune was a new experience, and one we loved.” With The Devil Rides Again, Adrian Raso and Fanfare Ciocarlia prove once more that when jazz, rockabilly, and Balkan brass collide, the result is pure magic.

The Devil Rides Again

Tarantella Noir

Bugatti Be Kiddin' Me

I'm A Man

La Marquisette

Blue Drag

Blagona Blue

Stromboli

Roma Stomp

Jolene

CD & LP "BASTA MAFIA!" from ZDOB SI ZDUB out January 2012 on Asphalt Tango Records: 
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/zdobsizdub/artist.html 

ZDOB SI ZDUB on FACEBOOK: 
www.facebook.com/zdobsizdub

ZDOB SI ZDUB on TWITTER:
https://twitter.com/zdobsizdub

Basta Mafia!

Basta Mafia

Zdob si Zdub / Basta Mafia from "BASTA MAFIA!"

Fanfare Ciocarlia, the world's foremost Gypsy brass band, celebrate their 20 th anniversary in 2016 with an album brimming with their signature Balkan party sound, refreshingly laden with a smattering of big band interpretations of some Blues and Latin corkers.

CD/LP "ONWARDS TO MARS!" from FANFARE CIOCARLIA out 15 April 2016 on Asphalt Tango Records:
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/fanfare/onwards_to_mars.html

FANFARE CIOCARLIA on FACEBOOK:
www.facebook.com/FanfareCiocarlia

FANFARE CIOCARLIA on TOUR:
www.asphalt-tango.de/fanfare/tour.html

Onwards to Mars!

Fanfare Ciocarlia / I Put A Spell On You (ft. Iulian Canaf) from "ONWARDS TO MARS"

Balkan Reggae

Balkan Reggae (Mahala Rai Banda vs. Jstar)

Çiğdem Aslan's second album, "A Thousand Cranes" is a mesmerising sequel to the songs of the 1920's Smyrna and Istanbul of her debut album "Mortissa". Taking its name after tourna/τούρνα (crane); a migratory bird that resonates with strong symbolism in many cultures and mythologies; with "A Thousand Cranes", Çiğdem too is migrating through ages and across borders to continue her journey and explore songs of Athens, the Balkans and South East Anatolia.

Website Çiğdem Aslan: www.cigdemaslan.com
Facebook Çiğdem Aslan: www.facebook.com/CigdemAslanOfficial
Website Record Label: www.asphalt-tango.de

A Thousand Cranes

Zaira

Çiğdem Aslan / Zaira from "A THOUSAND CRANES"

Single "Cruzando el Campo" out on Asphalt Tango Records 20th April 2018

Fanfare Ciocarlia's brandnew song "Cruzando el Campo" spreads spring fever and heaps of sunshine! While straying through the nearby fields of their home village back in Romania, the giants of brass came up with a jolly tune that invites everyone to dance and welcome the new season!

MORE INFO: www.asphalt-tango.de
ARTIST WEBSITE: www.fanfare-ciocarlia.com
FANFARE CIOCARLIA on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/FanfareCiocarlia
FANFARE CIOCARLIA on INSTAGRAM:www.instagram.com/fanfareciocarlia_official
FANFARE CIOCARLIA on TWITTER: www.twitter.com/fciocarlia

Cruzando el Campo

Fanfare Ciocarlia / Cruzando el Campo

CD "GHETTO BLASTERS" from MAHALA RAI BANDA out October 2009 on Asphalt Tango Records: 
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/banda/artist.html

MAHALA RAI BANDA on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/mahalaRbanda

Ghetto Blasters

Mahala Rai Banda / Balkan Reggae from "GHETTO BLASTERS"

CD "QUEENS AND KINGS" from FANFARE CIOCARLIA out February 2007 on Asphalt Tango Records: 
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/fanfare/artist2.html 

FANFARE CIOCARLIA on FACEBOOK: 
www.facebook.com/FanfareCiocarlia 

Queens & Kings

Que Dolor

Fanfare Ciocarlia / Que Dolor from "QUEENS AND KINGS"

“SOUNDS FROM A BYGONE AGE” is a series of CDs focusing on extremely rare recordings of legendary Gypsy musicians from Eastern Europe. These recordings were made when Europe was still divided by The Berlin Wall, thus “Sounds From A Bygone Age” brings lost musical treasures to the international market for the very first time. Here is a music of great beauty, mystery and artistry, a Balkan music performed in the borders between town and country, the sound of the Lautari.

CD "SOUNDS FROM A BYGONE AGE VOL.5" featuring GABI LUNCA out April 2008 on Asphalt Tango Records:
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/lunca/artist.html

CD "SOUNDS FROM A BYGONE AGE VOL.4" featuring TONI IORDACHE out April 2007 on Asphalt Tango Records:
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/iordache/artist.html 

CD "SOUNDS FROM A BYGONE AGE VOL.3" featuring DONA DUMITRU SIMINICA out September 2006 on Asphalt Tango Records:
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/siminica/artist.html 

CD "SOUNDS FROM A BYGONE AGE VOL.2" featuring ROMICA PUCEANU out February 2006 on Asphalt Tango Records:
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/puceanu/artist.html

CD "SOUNDS FROM A BYGONE AGE VOL.1" featuring ION PETRE STOICAN out February 2006 on Asphalt Tango Records:
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/stoican/artist.html

Romica Puceanu / Sa Te Ajunga Dorul Meu from "SOUNDS FROM A BYGONE AGE Vol.2"

CD & LP "BALKAN BRASS BATTLE" from FANFARE CIOCARLIA and BOBAN & MARKO MARKOVIC ORCHESTRA out May 2011 on Asphalt Tango Records: 
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/markovic_ciocarlia/artist.html 

FANFARE CIOCARLIA on FACEBOOK: 
www.facebook.com/FanfareCiocarlia 

Balkan Brass Battle

Caravan

Fanfare Ciocarlia / Caravan from "BALKAN BRASS BATTLE"

CD/DVD "LIVE" from FANFARE CIOCARLIA out September 2009 on Asphalt Tango Records: 
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/fanfare/artist_live.html 

FANFARE CIOCARLIA on FACEBOOK: 
www.facebook.com/FanfareCiocarlia 

Live

Asfalt Tango

Fanfare Ciocarlia / Asfalt Tango from "LIVE"

CD "PICTURES FROM THE STREET" from Motion Trio out October 2004 on Asphalt Tango Records: 
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/motiontrio/artist1.html

MOTION TRIO on FACEBOOK:
www.facebook.com/pages/Motion-Trio/152592981435106

Pictures from the street

pageant

Motion Trio / Pageant from "PICTURES FROM THE STREET"

CD "OPA HEY!" from KOTTARASHKY out November 2009 on Asphalt Tango Records: 
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/kottarashky/artist.html 

KOTTARASHKY on FACEBOOK: 
www.facebook.com/pages/Kottarashky/51008342045?sk=wall 

Opa Hey!

I want you to sleep

Kottarashky / I want you to sleep from "OPA HEY!"

“SOUNDS FROM A BYGONE AGE” is a series of CDs focusing on extremely rare recordings of legendary Gypsy musicians from Eastern Europe. These recordings were made when Europe was still divided by The Berlin Wall, thus “Sounds From A Bygone Age” brings lost musical treasures to the international market for the very first time. Here is a music of great beauty, mystery and artistry, a Balkan music performed in the borders between town and country, the sound of the Lautari.

CD "SOUNDS FROM A BYGONE AGE VOL.5" featuring GABI LUNCA out April 2008 on Asphalt Tango Records:
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/lunca/artist.html

CD "SOUNDS FROM A BYGONE AGE VOL.4" featuring TONI IORDACHE out April 2007 on Asphalt Tango Records:
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/iordache/artist.html 

CD "SOUNDS FROM A BYGONE AGE VOL.3" featuring DONA DUMITRU SIMINICA out September 2006 on Asphalt Tango Records:
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/siminica/artist.html 

CD "SOUNDS FROM A BYGONE AGE VOL.2" featuring ROMICA PUCEANU out February 2006 on Asphalt Tango Records:
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/puceanu/artist.html

CD "SOUNDS FROM A BYGONE AGE VOL.1" featuring ION PETRE STOICAN out February 2006 on Asphalt Tango Records:
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/stoican/artist.html 

Dona Dumitru Siminica / Cine are fata mare from "SOUNDS FROM A BYGONE AGE VOL. 3"

CD & LP "FAKE NO MORE" from LA CHERGA out September 2008 on Asphalt Tango Records: 
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/cherga/artist.html

LA CHERGA on FACEBOOK: 
www.facebook.com/lacherga 

Fake No More!

Fake No More

La Cherga / Fake No More from "FAKE NO MORE"

CD "GILI GARABDI" from FANFARE CIOCARLIA out March 2005 on Asphalt Tango Records: 
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/fanfare/artist.html

FANFARE CIOCARLIA on FACEBOOK: 
www.facebook.com/FanfareCiocarlia 

Gili Garabdi

Sirba moldoveneasca

Fanfare Ciocarlia / Sirba Moldoveneasca from "GILI GARABDI"

Gabi Lunca / Omul Bun N-Are Noroc from "SOUNDS FROM A BYGONE AGE VOL. 5)

LP & CD "DEMONI" from KOTTARASHKY & THE RAIN DOGS out May 2012 on Asphalt Tango Records:
www.asphalt-tango.de/records/kottarashky/artist-demoni.html

KOTTARASHKY on FACEBOOK:
www.facebook.com/pages/Kottarashky/51008342045?sk=wall

Demoni

Pancho Says

Kottarashky & The Rain Dogs / Pancho Says from "DEMONI"

KOTTARASHKY & THE RAIN  DOGS on tour
12.04.13 	Stans (CH) 	Stanser Musiktage   
27.06.13 	Harstad (N) 	Festival of North Norway   
29.06.13 	Tilburg (NL) 	Festival Mundial   
05.07.13 	Roskilde (DK) 	Roskilde Festival   
26.07.13 	Malmö (SE) 	Hedmanska Garden   
28.07.13 	Nürnberg (D) 	Bardentreffen   
31.07.13 	Friedrichshafen (D) 	Kulturufer   
01.08.13 	Feldkirch (A) 	Poolbar Festival   
03.08.13 	Näsaker (SE) 	Urkult Festival   


Kottarashky feat. Fanfare Ciocarlia / Pancho Says

Mahala Rai Banda, Romania’s funkiest Gypsy brass band, blew minds with their 2009 album ”Ghetto Blasters”. Amongst the many hyper-fast tunes rocking on that disc there was one of sweet, laid-back grooves called ‘Balkan Reggae’.

‘Balkan Reggae’ found Mahala Rai Banda paying homage to their soul brothers in Jamaica. In the year that Jamaica is celebrating 50 Years of Independence, Mahala Rai Banda chose to reach out to their Jamaican brethren and invited London-based top dub remixer Jstar to give ‘Balkan Reggae’ a sonic turbo charge.

Long celebrated for his classic reggae hip-hop mashups, Jstar regularly tours the planet dropping good grooves on party people and pushing bass culture forward. Jstar, who knows a phat groove when he hears one, is a big Mahala Rai Banda fan. His dub remix of ‘Balkan Reggae’ keeps the tune’s lyrical, sunshine vibe while giving it an urban electro tweak and twist. JSTAR about MAHALA RAI BANDA: “These guys got more bounce than a rubber ball!”

MAHALA RAI BANDA on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/mahalaRbanda

Buy on Juno

Mahala Rai Banda vs. Jstar / Balkan Reggae (Jstar Mix)

Taken from album "Gypsybilly King" - released on Asphalt Tango Records, October 2019.

Raso, a self-taught virtuoso, first became enamored with the guitar’s possibilities as a child upon hearing the might of sound Prince conjured up on Let’s Go Crazy. Cutting his teeth playing tough Toronto dive bars, Raso came to realise he preferred forging his own path. Having released several solo albums in Canada, Raso’s 2014 collaboration with superstar Romanian brass band Fanfare Ciocarlia “Devil’s Tale’” ( Asphalt Tango Records ) secured his international reputation. Never before had East met West so successfully, the album, one of the first to combine Balkan/ Gypsy style rhythms with Mediterranean music, charted #1 on the World Music Charts and earned wide critical praise and a myriad awards.

Emilja's Waltz

NEW ALBUM ON SALE MARCH 22nd 2013! 
Listen to 1 of 9 tracks taken from the new album "BALKAN REGGAE" - remixed by Mad Professor, Manasseh, Jstar, La Cherga, G-Vibes, Vibronics, Koby Israelite, Kanka and Kyle Sicarius. Irie!

Enjoy the latest video on youtube!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jwgm6XmoA4

Mahala Rai Banda proved on their album “Ghetto Blasters” that they were not only masters of hyper-fast dance tunes but also capable of a warm Caribbean groove called “Balkan Reggae”. 
“Balkan Reggae” found Mahala Rai Banda paying homage to their soul brothers in Jamaica. In the year that Jamaica celebrated 50 years of independence MRB embraced their Jamaican musical brethren by inviting several top Dub remixers like Mad Professor, Jstar and Nick Manasseh to give their Romanian Reggae tune a sonic turbo charge. Irie!

MAHALA RAI BANDA on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/mahalaRbanda

Mahala Rai Banda & Gregory Fabulous vs. Manasseh / Balkan Reggae (Manasseh Mix

contact: Gregor - booking@asphalt-tango.de

OANA CATALINA CHITU (RO): DIVINE
Romanian songs from the repertoire of Maria Tănase (1913-1963)
Maria Tănase is loved in Romania like no singer that has followed her. Even before the Second World War she performed folk songs, tangos, romances, couplets and căntece de mahala, music from the suburbs, in restaurants, in revue theatres and on the radio, usually accompanied by Roma musicians, the lăutari. Tănase developed her own expressive way of interpretation, making songs of every origin her own. Then the iron curtain fell between Eastern and Western Europe. Maria Tănase was increasingly forgotten in Romania throughout the 1960s, because her dramatic doinas or the oriental-sounding songs from the mahala, did not fit into the limited concept of man held by certain party officials. Maria Tănase was too much the extravagant diva and individualistic artist to allow herself to be co-opted by the state, let alone move even one millimetre towards mediocrity. And so in June 1963 she was buried like a queen at Bucharest's Bellu Cemetery. Hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets for her final journey. It wasn't until the 1990s before a new light was cast on the legacy of Maria Tănase. She was able to be rediscovered.In 2013, Romanians are celebrating the centenary of Maria Tănase's birth. This anniversary inspired the Romanian Oana Cătălina Chiţu, who lives in Berlin, to pay homage to the great singer.Oana Cătălina Chiţu grew up in northern Romania. After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Ceauşescu regime, she moved to Berlin. Upon her arrival, she founded the Balkan band Romenca with Serbian accordion player Dejan Jovanovic, but her yearning for Romanian songs and her love of the artist Maria Tănase never disappeared. At the same time Oana Cătălina Chiţu is not an apologist, awestruck by the legacy of the Romanian diva Maria Tănase. She would like to enter into a dialogue with a phenomenal legacy which, with the exception of a few voices, has almost no creative follow-up in today's Romanian music scene. New Berlin acoustically encounters old Bucharest. Today, musicians from both countries are once again moving as easily between the two cities as they did in the 1930s, when tango singer Jean Moscopol performed in a Berlin casino or sang in the UFA film studios. Thanks to a large number of emigrants, music from the Balkans, and from Romania in particular, is better known in Berlin today than ever before; this is not restricted to a specific genre and goes far beyond the phenomenon of Balkan Beats. Oana Cătălina Chiţu is a part of this vibrant scene and her diva-like on-stage persona is reminiscent of times long past, when bohemians and intellectuals met in Bucharest's salons.

AsphaltTangoRecords

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