The adoring following were dancing in the aisles, but the new lineup of the band that launched the west’s fascination with Balkan Gypsy styles in the early 90s couldn’t quite capture the exhilaration of their early work, or even of their latest album. Perhaps they were trying too hard.
They have an extraordinary history to live up to. Formed 25 years ago in a Romanian village, Taraf de Haïdouks went on to astonish audiences with their virtuoso playing. Then it began to go wrong, with an exercise in which they “re-Gypsified” songs used by Bartók and others, followed by a collaboration with Macedonia’s Kočani Orkestar, which provided a reminder that Balkan gypsy brass bands had become more popular in the west.
Now, Taraf have returned to their roots. New musicians have moved in alongside the veterans, and their recent LP, Of Lovers, Gamblers and Parachute Skirts, was fresh and entertaining. All they had to do was repeat that formula playing live, but this was a uniformly frantic set that wasn’t helped by an infuriating camera crew walking on stage between band and audience.
The nine-man acoustic lineup included violins, double bass, woodwind, accordions, and the xylophone-like cimbalom. They started at full tilt and never let up, even when the band slimmed down to a seven- or five-piece. Changes of mood were badly needed, though the insistent musical swirl was enlivened by rapid-fire violin duets, and fine solos from Bulgarian clarinet player Filip Simeonov. It would also have been good to hear more songs from the two female singers, including Viorica Rudareasa, who reprieved the rousing Dumbala Dumba, which she recorded with Taraf 17 years ago. If they hadn’t tried to constantly excite, they would have impressed even more.
• 17 May, Norfolk and Norwich festival. Box office: 01603 766 400.
