Search - Ida Kelarova :: Gipsy Songs

Pianist and vocalist Kelarova invited singer Vera Bila, bratsch (viola) player Karel Gina, the Kale Ensemble, and the Bogoro Choir, a 12-voice international women's choir, to perform a repertoire of Gypsy songs live in the studio. Chants Tziganes (Gypsy Songs) documents the event. The CD's 12 songs move effortlessly from romping Gypsy dances to romance and melancholic ballads, sometimes in the course of one number. Kelarova, acting as ringmaster to the festivities, shares vocals with the remarkable Bila, who wrings every nuance from the material, while Gina's quixotic viola keeps close to the Rom roots of the material. The Bogoro Choir adds an almost Bulgarian sound to the mix, and the overall result is of a group of great artists having a wonderful after-hours cabaret, performing just for themselves. --Derek Rath