→ Winner of 1 Juno and 1 Felix (Quebec - Canada)
Group formed around Polish-born songwriter Paul Kunigis and also includes Tommy Babin (bass), Rémi Leclerc (drums and percussion), Caroline Meunier (accordion and harmonium), Carmen Piculeata (violin), J.D. Levasseur (clarinet, piccolo) and Marc Tremblay (trombone).
The album I own was produced by guitarist Yves Desrosiers who worked with Jean Leloup and Lhasa de Sela. The title of the album, Balagane, means "brothel in Hebrew" as in Polish, two of the four languages found on this album. For its part, the name of the group means Again.
I saw the band performing in Joliette, the troupe of Jeszcze Raz had arranged to meet the people of the region there for an evening under the sign of Eastern European music (gypsy, gypsy, etc). On the program, the content of the wonderful album that is Balagane, a word meaning "Bordel" and let's say that it takes on its full meaning when you think of the situation prevailing in the Middle East.
The majority of the texts and music were created by Paul Kunigis and represent slices of life that are somewhat a reflection of the author's experiences. He tells us about his journey, a young Pole born of a Catholic mother and a Jewish father, raised in Israel and studying at a French school. It would be difficult to make a more diverse culture, yet he wears it proudly and allows us to share it with him.
From Balagane to Swetlana, via Czarna Kawa (Black Coffee ) and 3 Pajaci (3 clowns), the group's magnificent music makes us travel to the heart of the gypsy soul and share a piece of their life. Whether dancing, singing or playing the piano, Paul Kunigis shows us why his people (the Poles) had to maintain their optimism, especially when we are caught between Russia and Germany. An important artist and a man of heart that he shares with the excellent musicians of his group.
