The concerts will feature Maurice El Médioni, Ba Cissoko, Lo'Jo and the Erik Marchand Quartet.
Maurice El Médioni (France); Les Hurlements D'Léo (France)
19:30 Thursday, May 17 - Béla Bartók National Concert Hall
Maurice El Médioni - piano, Claude Maimaran - drums, Raphael Benchimol - derbuka, Mardoche Maimaran - bass guitar
Les Hurlements D'Léo: Laulo - vocals, guitar, Rémi - drums, Benziz - saxophone, piano, guitar, Dawed - double bass, Lojo - accordion, trombone, Pépito - trumpet, R1 Wallace - vocals, guitar, Zébulon - violin, guitar
Sixty-eight-year-old Maurice El Médioni is one of the "pianorientalist" legends of our era. He was born in Oran and created his own unmistakable coffee house piano style, including elements of boogie-woogie, rumba and rai. In the 50s he moved to France where he played with some legendary names only to fall back into obscurity. However, two decades ago, he re-emerged with the sensational album Café Oran, made with Frank London, David Krakauer, Mahmoud Fadl and Sabah Habas Mustapha.
The Bordeaux-based Les Hurlements D'Léo have established themselves over their eleven- year career as some of the greatest "students" of the "Les Negresses Vertes - Mano Negra school".
Ba Cissoko (Guinea)
19:30 Friday, May 25 - Festival Theatre
Ba Cissoko - kora, vocals, Sekou Kouyaté - kora, vocals, Kourou Kouyaté - bass guitar, vocals, Ibrahima Bah - percussion
Ba Cissoko is the Jimmy Hendrix of the kora, a traditional 24-string instrument from Guinea. The Kouyaté brothers, together with percussionist Ibrahima Bah, present the country's Mandingo musical heritage with the intensity of rock stars.
Lo'Jo (France)
19:30 Saturday, May 26 - Festival Theatre
Denis Péan - vocals, keyboard instruments, Richard Bourreau - violin, kora, Nadia Nid El Mourid - vocals, Yamina Nid El Mourid - vocals, soprano saxophone, Kham Meslien - bass guitar, Franck Vaillant - drums
In 1982, musicians, poets, circus artists and film makers organised themselves into a commune at Angers, alongside the Loire river. The Lo'Jo band, led by Denis Péan emerged as the "tribal" band which, by the mid-90s, had developed a cult following in Europe. The band presents a unique mix of French chansons, Gypsy music, cabaret, dub and East and North African musical traditions.
Erik Marchand Quartet (France, Serbia, Romania)
19:30, Saturday June 2 - Festival Theatre
Erik Marchand - vocals, Jacky Molard - violin, Costica Olan - taragot, Viorel Tajkuna - accordion
Erik Marchand is a key figure in the Breton music tradition of Western France. His music is characterised by the same richness that marks Breton singing, while the quartet is particularly notable because of the way the musicians combine Breton melodies with Eastern European Gypsy music. Beside Breton violinist Jack Molard, Romanian Costica Olan and Serb Viorel Tajkuna also play in the group, creating a bridge between two far removed worlds, a bridge that offers a unique experience to all who cross it.
Source: Fidelio.hu / www.mupa.hu
