‘Latcho Drom: A Journey through Gypsy Jazz’ is an exploration of the soundscape that accompanied the centuries-long journey of the Romani folk from Rajasthan and Sindh to the cafes in Paris. Alongside gypsy jazz classics like the music of Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli, Tchavolo and Dorado Schmitt and traditional Romani tunes, the two-hour long concert will include various encounters that Romani music has had with ‘modernity’ – from Bartok’s Romanian Dances and Brahms’ Hungarian Dances to songs composed by the lăutari in Romania describing the overthrow of Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989.

Conversely, they shall also be presenting canonical music, interpreted through the lens of ‘gypsy’ traditions. As mentioned earlier, Gypsy Jazz has an intricate connection with the arcades of Paris, where it first flourished under the name Jazz Manouche – as did the music of luminaries such as Erik Satie, Camille Saint-Saëns and Maurice Ravel. Their music was instrumental in shaping both the ‘cafe culture’ of Paris and the electronic ambient music that is popular today. The traditional music of the Romani folk was influenced by contemporary trends in classical music, resulting in a form of jazz never heard before, and their aim is to ‘gypsify’ classical music, in much the same way.

Join The Big Other for an evening of acoustic dance music in one of the coolest cafes in the city. Come and experience ‘La Pompe’ in the City of Joy like you’ve never heard before.