On this third CD, the Canadian gypsy group
Djelem starts to move forward by getting away from playing only traditional songs and includes original songs by Anatoli Iakovencho, the lead singer and himself a Gypsy born in Ukraine; Sergeï Trofanov, the violinist; and one song by the bass player, Claude Simard. You have as well three traditional songs from East Europe. What surprises at first listening is a kind of different and modern sound, especially with the use of synthesizers and the guitar playing, which is influenced by French Canadian folk playing. The group also includes Sonya Sanscartier on voice, doing beautiful and exquisite vocal accompaniment. She unfortunately does not sing.
Djelem's music is evocative, nostalgic, melancholic, romantic -- like storytelling. The evolution of gypsy music. ~ Bruno Deschênes