Passion and Spirit. Review on Taruff de Haduks - Band of Gypsys

If you've seen the movie The Man Who Cried with Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci then you've seen Taruf de Haduks. They are the gypsy band who plays throughout the movie. They also happen to be one of Johnny Depp's favorite bands. It was this movie that introduced me to their wild passionate sound. They are a group of men who come from the same small village in Romania who been singing and playing together for years. Unlike some so called gypsy bands these guys are the real thing. They have survived the persecution of their people by various forms of government and have managed to maintain their love for music and life. To see and hear them play is to have your passion rekindled. Band of Gypsies is a live concert recorded in Bucharest with a couple of guest gypsy bands. From the opening tremelo of the violin in the first song to the final strum of guitar in the last this album(cd) kept my interest at all times. The variety of music styles portrayed, from Turksih to Romanian shows the diversity of the gypsy culture and the influences this music has had on a variety of styles. Some of the melodies, and the roughness of voices may sound discordent to western ears, but eastern listeners will find a lot familliarities with the music of India or the middle east. Gypsy music reflects the migratory nature of the people. But all cultural interst aside, this music is just plain great. One of the most passionate and genuine bands I have heard in a long time Tarruf de Haduks is an experience I would reccomend to anybody.