Fanfare Ciocărlia are one of the world’s greatest gypsy brass bands, a 24-legged Balkan brass beast whose eastern funk groove has torn up halls and festivals across the planet with their balkan brass sound. Their energetic performances and musical ingenuity winning them fans from Melbourne to Memphis, Tokyo to Toulouse. Growing up sons of farmers in the “hidden” village of Zece Prajini in north-eastern Romania, the bands members learned their craft at the feet of their fathers and grandfathers, proudly approaching every concert as a challenge to both entertain audiences and keep the true spirit of Gypsy music alive. It is no small thing to note that Fanfare Ciocarlia singlehandedly are responsible for the re-emergence and great rise in popularity of balkan brass and the balkan brasss movement from Eastern Europe.

 

 

Anyone who has heard Fanfare Ciocărlia can agree on one thing – no brass band has ever played as fast as this before. Make that two things: no brass band had ever sounded like this before! Their village's isolation, situated in a misty valley, its dirt roads are occupied by flocks of geese and horse and carts, meant that throughout the years it remained hidden from the outside world, untouched by the effects of communism and allowing its eighty Gypsy farming families to continue to live a traditional rural lifestyle. This same remote quality also meant that brass musical traditions developed under Ottoman rule still continued to exist in the village when they had long died out in the rest of Romania. Characterised by breakneck speed, technical chops, ripping rhythms and sweet and sour horns, these combined elements separate them from any other brass band on earth.

 

 

The Times of London described it as “a heavy, heavy monster sound” and Fanfare’s recordings have taken their eerie Balkan groove into dance clubs across the planet. They were commissioned by Sacha Baron Cohen to cut the biker anthem “Born To Be Wild” and "just the 2 Of Us" for the Borat I and II movie soundtrack and have been sampled and covered ,championed and emulated, by countless DJs, bands and Gypsy orchestras across the world. Fanfare Ciocărlia have released ten albums, several of which have topped the European World Music charts and their DVD “Brass On Fire” was acclaimed by Songlines magazine as “setting a new standard for music documentaries”. They have played over 3000 concerts world-wide, and put simply: nobody does it better, harder, faster, funkier than Fanfare Ciocaărlia.

 

 

 

Discography:

 

2024: "Me Sem Rom" - (Vinyl & Digital) produced and released by Asphalt Tango Records

 

2022: "Escape From Baltimore" – Jstar Remix (single – digital only) produced and released by Asphalt Tango Records

 

2022: "First Aid Klezmer" – Dunkelbunt Remix (single – digital only) produced and released by Asphalt Tango Records

 

2021: "It Wasn't Hard To Love You" (Vinyl, CD & Digital) produced and released by Asphalt Tango Records

 

2016: "Onwards to Mars" (Vinyl, CD & Digital) produced and released by Asphalt Tango Records

 

2014: “Devil ́s Tale” (Vinyl, CD & Digital) produced and released by Asphalt Tango Records

 

2011: “Balkan Brass Battle” (Vinyl, CD & Digital) produced and released by Asphalt Tango Records

 

2009: “Best Of Gypsy Brass” (Vinyl Double LP) produced & released by Asphalt Tango Records

 

2009: “Live” (DVD & CD) produced & released by Asphalt Tango Records

 

2007: “Queens and Kings” (CD & Digital) produced & released by Asphalt Tango Records

 

2005: “Gili Garabdi” (CD & Digital) produced & released by Asphalt Tango Records

 

2001: “Iag Bari” (CD & Digital) produced by aspalt tango production & released by Piranha

 

1999: “Baro Biao -World Wide Wedding” (CD & Digital) produced by aspalt tango production & released by Piranha

 

1998: “Radio Pascani” (CD & Digital) produced by aspalt tango production & released by Piranha

 

 

 

Awards:

 

2022:

Songlines Award for Best World Music act from Europe 2022

 

2021:

Album “It Wasn’t Hard To Love You”

Top of the World Music Charts Europe

 

2017:

Album "Onwards to Mars!"

Songlines Music Award as Best European Album Release

 

2014:

Album “Devil’s Tale”

Top of the World Music Charts Europe (CD: Devil’s Tale)

Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik (Award of

the German Record Critics) as Best World Music Album

 

2011:

Album “Balkan Brass Battle”

Top of the World Music Charts Europe

Best Album by UK’s Music magazine Songlines

Album of the year by National Geographic Music

 

2007:

Album “Queens and Kings”

Top of the World Music Charts Europe

Top of the world album by Songlines UK

Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik (Award of the German Record Critics) as Best

Worldmusic Album

 

2006:

BBC Radio 3 Award for Best World Music act from Europe

 

2005:

Album “Gili Garabdi”

Top of the World Music Charts Europe

 

2001:

Album “Iag Bari”

Top of the World Music Charts Europe

Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik (Award of the German Record Critics) as Best

Worldmusic Album

 

1999:

Album “Baro Biao”

Top of the World Music Charts Europe

 

1998: Album “Radio Pascani”

Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik (Award of the German Record Critics) as Best World Music Album

 

 

 

 

Label: 

 

Asphalt Tango Records