Zarafa

Zarafa specialises in the music of the Balkans peninsula of Eastern Europe - the "Crossroads of the World" where the ancient cultural tides of Europe, Asia and the Middle East meet. The Balkan countries are home to some of the hottest dance music on the planet, featuring wild rhythms, haunting vocals and soaring instrumental solos that come "straig... ht from the source" - the fire in the soul. However, Zarafa is not simply a great Balkans band. The key to Zarafa's music is diversity: the band draws upon traditions as wide-ranging as Hungarian gypsy violin music, medieval English songs, Sufi trance music and North African bellydance. The result is an exciting mix of traditional and original music and dance from the Near and Middle East - a feast for the senses. Zarafa aims to be faithful to the cultural roots of the music we play. We research and use traditional melodies, modes, rhythms and styles of ornamentation from the Balkans and the Arabic world. We also use traditional instruments: baglama saz, ney flutes, Cretan lyra, oud, violin, accordion and others. While Zarafa draws heavily upon traditional elements, we do not aim is not to achieve a "pure" rendition of this material, nor do we seek to recapture some "golden age" of unadulterated traditional music. Rather, the band seeks to create a unique sound that expresses a contemporary, cosmopolitan Australian identity. We see ourselves as playing a popularising role, presenting the musical traditions of the Balkans and Middle East in ways that make them accessible to mainstream Australian audiences. We use the term 'Gypsy Fusion' to describe our music. The word 'Gypsy' is used in reference to the wide-ranging journey we have embarked on in search of great music, crossing political, cultural and religious divides; a refusal to be constrained by artificial borders between musical traditions. It draws an analogy with the role of the Rom people, whose journeys over many centuries have played a crucial part in the adoption and dissemination of musical influences ...Read More