Wash Up from Odessa
Grand Finale
Club Seas invited TimesNewRoman ( DJ Dogus) to play our closing party at Exit. The music jumped across the globe yet kept a distinctly Turkish Beat. There was Conga’s and the bar staff snook out to the dancefloor too.
Here is our Top Ten Tracks from the night so you can re-create the party at home.
1. Balkan Beat Box – Bulgarian Chicks
2. Gipsy.cz – Multin
3. Murat Uncuoglu Ft. Ayben Vs. Husnu Senlendirici – Sina Nari
4. DJ Russ Jones and Felx B – Sing Even If You Got No Bread
5. Fanfare Ciocarlia – 007 (James Bond Theme)
6. Kocani Orkestar – Alim Korkori Ko Bijav
7. Gogol Bordello – J.U.F. Dub8. Besh O DroM – Space Maudi
9. Amsterdam Klezmer Band – Der Terkishe Yale Ve Yove
10. Kultur Shock – Mustafa Posted by Deirdre at 7:38 AM 0 comments
Labels: Black/North SEAS, Exit Club, Odessa, Timesnewroman
Pearl Of Odessa
By Friday news had spread about our parties down at Exit. We crammed the bill with as many acts as possible opening with a sweet techno set from our resident DJ Gary Grey. Wunderbaum’s Beer Tourist was at capacity and emotions flowing as the youngest theatre audience I’ve ever seen jostled for a better view. A perfect audience for our first live performers of the evening
Sergei Klein, Andrei Sechkovski also known as UKR.TELE.KOM. These guys’ are known for uncompromising live performances. Their strange name is borrowed from the Ukrainian national telephone company. It makes sense when you listen to the music and realise they are all about communicating disrespectfully of borders. Perhaps even beyond what we would term music. It was surprising then that the audience accepted and enjoyed the strange set. The live element of flute, mouth harp & vocal undoubtedly captured the imagination.
At midnight Boogazz took to the stage. Black Sea Ethno Grooves is there self labled genre. Max Vega took up duties on the turntables adding a modern twist to familiar Balkan melodies. From the opening bars everyone was on there feet. Boogazz whipped our club into a sweaty frenzy. Exquisite accordion playing and infectious brass from the two Neroslavs. We hope to post some pictures soon.
Vj’s Muzika Budget followed. This young sound system threw their planned set out the window and played the music they felt rather than what the club owners in Odessa usually demand. And boy were we glad, the floor remained packed until security kicked us all out! It seems our neighbours didn’t appreciate the banging tracks at 4am. Labels: Black/North SEAS, Boogazz, DJ Gary Grey, Exit Club, Odessa, Ukr.tele.kom
Saturday, May 31, 2008
EXIT Thursday
Earlier this week Jenny & I were lucky enough to introduced to pianist Alexander Kohanovski. Kohanovski is a big deal. He straddles both the contemporary classical world and Ukraine’s underground alternative music scene. There are not enough superlatives in the world to describe what he does with a piano.
The Exit club has a battered old piano tucked away under the curtains. We persuaded him to play for us last night. This is a man used to playing in grand national theatres and yet he agreed. So generous is he with his time that after his performance he invited some of Odessa’s fresh music makers on stage. Encouraging actress Twiggy Pop to develop her musical side. As with such spontaneous gigs there was technical hitches and nothing ran smoothly. Yet our club was laughing – bewitched by Twiggy’s humour and grace. The night ended with DJ Max Vega spinning original grooves from his many beat bands. Looking across the room it was great to see our new Dutch theatre friends Wunderbaum, Odessa musicians and audience lingering by the stage sharing a beer together – reluctant for this special night to end.
A Tale Of Two Cities
Odessa is a city of contrasts. At the moment the elegant boulevards are decorated with delicate white pollen from its many trees making walking across the city a joy. Yet the famous sea is to be avoided due to pollution. Outside our city apartment sits exclusive global boutiques and huge cars pack themselves onto the pavement. Walk 10 minutes from the centre and you’ll arrive in the Moldavanka district. Moldavanka is historically home to Jewish Gangsters. Any illusion of romantic hustling disappears though when you realise that today it is on the cusp of transforming into a drug ghetto. It’s buildings are just as beautiful as the city centre but crumbling away.
To some Odessa’s architecture can’t fit with sucess and the future. Progress demands new skyscrapers. I as a selfish tourist want to wrap myself in the cobbled stone streets and faded grandeur. Can the the past and future co-exist? It seems to me that these century old buildings are also a symbol of commerce. Odessa is a city built exclusively for trade. Early migrants dared dream not just of riches but built a multi-ethnic city to rival Paris.That takes some vision and self-belief. Qualities that this new frail state need to succeed.
