Uno (Santa Fe / Ojo! Records, 2011)
Spanish band Zoobazar is a Madrid-based world music ‘supergroup’ formed by top international instrumentalists and composers. Band members include Radio Tarifa‘s former oud player, La Musgaña‘s fiddler, La Shica’s and Eliseo Parra‘s drummer and percussionist, and the bassist of rock band GN3.
Zoobazar’s debut album, Uno, is a mesmerizing journey across the musics of the Mediterranean countries, including Iberian folk music, Turkish, Balkan, Greek, Middle Eastern and North African beats and melodies. The original pieces, rooted in folk music, are modernized by adding contemporary elements such as rock, funk and jazz.
Band members include German musician and composer Amir-John Haddad on oud and saz; composer Diego Galaz on fiddle and mandolin; Pablo Martin Jones on drums and percussion; Hector Tellini on bass.
Guest musicians include composer Vincent Molino on Poitou oboe (Radio Tarifa), Xavi Lozano on duduk and flute (Eliseo Parra), Pedro Esparza on tenor sax (Joaquin Ruiz), Raúl Márquez on fiddle (member of dancer Sara Baras’ Flamenco ensemble), and Jorge Arribas on accordion (La Musgaña).
Zoobazar is an example of world music its finest. An excellent debut album.
Buy the album or MP3 downloads:
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
