On this Western market debut release of
Taraf de Haïdouks, the supergroup of Romanian gypsy music in recent years attempts to represent all of the major styles of Romanian music as well as gypsy musics from surrounding areas. The ability to switch between a heart-wrenching ballad and an ultrafast instrumental romp again and again is really one of the specialties of the group, which exploits that specialty to good use here. The violins rage when necessary and provide a light backing when necessary. The cymbalum can be used for a bouncing background or for a seething solo passage. Listener be prepared: You're in for a joyride through the musical traditions of Eastern Europe in less than an hour. Given the sudden popularity of
Taraf de Haïdouks in the worldwide marketplace, one might wonder why the buzz erupted as it did. This disc answers that question quickly. ~ Adam Greenberg