The Do-Goodrs – Ridiculous Things (Old Age Recording Company, 2024)
The debut album Ridiculous Things by The Do-Goodrs represents a fusion of cultural narratives, personal journeys, and a profound appreciation for Balkan sevdah music.
Seattle-based The Do-Goodrs is a dynamic ensemble with members that span continents and various musical traditions and genres. The band’s core members, Hadjia and Gino Jevdjevic, began their musical partnership in Yugoslavia before finding themselves as refugees in Seattle, where they continued their musical endeavors with the group Kultur Shock. Joining them are acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Amy Denio and Darek Mazzone, both veterans of the Seattle music scene with diverse backgrounds in musical exploration.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Do-Goodrs found themselves drawn together by a shared passion for sevdah music, seeking to delve deeper into its complexities while infusing it with their own innovative flavor. Their debut album presents a seamless integration of their diverse musical backgrounds and sevdah’s traditional instrumentation, resulting in a sound that pays homage to tradition while embracing contemporary sensibilities.
The album was recorded at Avast Studios, renowned for its association with Seattle’s grunge rock scene, the album serves as a testament to the band’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of sevdah music. Mazzone describes the studio as a crucible where Balkan and Middle Eastern harmonies converge, reshaping the landscape of sevdah for modern audiences.
Musicians: Gino Jevdjevic on bouzouki, tapan drum, vocals; Amy Denio on clarinet, accordion, vocals; Nedim Hamzić (Hadžija) on oud, vocals; John Goodfellow on dora tambourine, vocals; and Darek Mazzone on tapan drum, vocals.
In the band’s own words:
“Shoreline” – This is a homage to a city next to Seattle that is an intriguing mix of history and evolution. Its history is tied to the first group of settlers who arrived and built various institutions tied to religion and extraction mindset. Now it’s a mix of immigrant populations that are creating a vibrant yet a bit rough and tumble culture.
“I Say The Most Ridiculous Things” – Yes it’s true, I do say the most ridiculous things. Like “I try harder than most, most of the time”, ridiculous. Other than that, there is not much to say. My songs come to me, words and melody together. I assume they come from some deep unconscious place. If I giggle while writing it out, I know it’s going to be good.
“Though” – Came out of a discussion where the person I was talking to wasn’t listening to me but involved in their self-righteousness so much that I silenced myself. Also, the idea that the Humble will be Humble at the end was very appealing.
“Solopsism” – The meaning of Solipsism is that we can only know ourselves. The Hindus call it Atman consciousness. All experience is from our senses and our understanding. Don’t we all feel sometimes that we are the only real thing, and the creator of our existence. This can be both comforting and disturbing at the same time. I love the absurdity of it. The country twang adds to this.
“The Travails of the Upper Classes” – I’ve been around enough to know that the Upper Classes have their own full range of emotional experiences just like everyone else, but with different content. Horses and money necessarily go together, as do blackmail and scams. When you are Upper Class you are a target and have a harder fall. A dark story with a dark ending.
“#44” – #44 is a chapter of the ancient Chinese divination book the I-Ching. The words were taken practically verbatim from the translation. Six at the beginning is a sub divination referring to the changing first line. The melody appeared as I studied the divination. A “brake of bronze” refers to a brake on a horse or ox cart. Bronze was a widely used metal in ancient times.
“Infinities” – This song came to me as I was buying translucent orange Salmon eggs to eat with rye bread and sour cream. The eggs are little universes of their own, containing infinities within. Infinities intertwined just blows my mind.
“Allah Who” – This is a version of the popular Sufi song Allah Hu. I ingested Ustad Nusrat Ali Khan’s version. I thought it so wonderful that the word Allah is so close to our English word All. The Hu sounded so much like our word Who as in Allah Who-births, provides, etc.
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.