Fanfara Tirana to perform in London

TIRANA, Oct. 24 – For the first time in the UK, brass band Fanfara Tirana, all members of The Military Band of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Albania, are teaming up with World Fusion pioneers Transglobal Underground in a fusion of Albanian folk tunes, hot Balkan Brass, Caribbean Dancehall, and the sounds of contemporary cosmopolitan London in what will be the Albanian live music party of 2013. Their London concert is scheduled for Sunday, October 27.
Fanfara Tirana has been described as “completely organicƷhether on gentle laments or trouser-shaking floor fillers” by The Times “meaty beats, crunching tubas and mercurial clarinets that speak lucidly of both past and present” by The Independent, and “a highly entertaining clash of Albanian brass and beats, with unexpected echoes of India or the Caribbean added in” by The Guardian.
Fanfara Tirana is a musical ensemble named after the Albanian capital. In its early days, its members played alongside the “professors” of the army band and devoted weekends to weddings, ceremonies where music is almost more important than food.
The ensemble enjoys retouching classical pieces by Mozart and Bach, reinventing them according to the mood of the moment and with a passion for typical Balkan party music. But their daily bread are traditional folk songs of Albania, especially those from the southern regions.
“We talk of Albanian blues to indicate a desire to express one’s suffering with the aid of timeless music, in this case made superlative by the genius of the band, Hysni (Nico) Zela, voice of Fanfare Tirana. The reference is therefore to “Kaba” music, improvisations on clarinet or violin, the prerogative of the territories surrounding Tirana and some areas of Epirus. At first glance, there would seem to be some confusion – in fact, the fifteen current members of the group are very familiar with music, both classical and traditional from the regions that have always hosted them,” says Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso.