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Orient Express
ROMAnce and Adventure
On the Trail of the Gypsies (Roma)
In India, a thousand years ago, a mercenary army was raised from the underclass to fight the invading Muslim armies of Mahmud of Ghazni. In the long back and forth of this struggle, groups of Indians broke off and began to journey throughout the Persian and Muslim world, following the Silk and Spice roads into the Middle East, some splitting off to Africa, others north to Europe. Never fully letting go of their outsider ethos, their nomadic nature or their Punjab language, not to mention their phenomenal musicianship, these Indians became known as Gypsies upon appearing in Europe in the 13th Century, where, due to their dark skin and exotic nature, they were thought to be Egyptians.
Bringing with them their Indian scales, familiarity with odd meters, and taste for the virtuosic, they absorbed and adapted the music they encountered on their journey, while injecting their unique character into the local culture. Their diaspora took them to every corner of the western world, including South America. Traces of the original Indian music can, we believe, be heard in the tango music of Argentina, the chorros of Brazil and even the jazz of America. Considered pariahs by many countries, they are held in high esteem by musicians around the world. Orient Express trails the gypsies (Romali) around the world - from India, Persia, the Middle East, Turkey, the Balkans, into Russia and wherever they lead.
If you're looking for music that is romantic, exciting and unusual - this is it. This is music you may never have seen performed live. Orient Express begins its travels with the Gypsy's (Roma) origin in India a thousand years ago and demonstrates how musical elements developed in India have carried forward through hundreds of generations of these nomadic tribes intermingled and cross-fertilized with all the music of all the lands they have travelled through.
Time signatures such as 13/8 and odd groupings of beats, along with exotic scales and harmonies, and very rapid tempi - combine for a rapturous musical experience.
You will be amazed by the virtuosity and dexterity required by this music and delivered by Orient Express. We take the listener on a guided tour of this uncommon music, dissecting the form and structure into its components and putting these together in performance, enriching the experience. We also discuss the various cultures and speculate as to why this music developed the way it did. Folk music springs from the people and is a spontaneous and unplanned outgrowth of their daily lives. "Gypsy" music, derived from the rich culture of India, is spectacularly interesting, as its DNA has been altered by every culture and experience they have had in the thousand years since the first caravans left India.
Give Orient Express a try. Audiences have been bowled over by the music, but they especially enjoy the guided tour through this unfamiliar territory. We take you through history and around the world. Not to worry, we bring you back safe and sound.
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