Re: OT gypsy music

[Bob Wiener <wiener...>]

Don't think this has any Jewish connection, but I'd like your expert opinion
on Kalyi Jag (Black Fire Group), "Gypsy Folk Songs from Hungary", probably
my only recording in this genre other than those by Moskowitz and Bikel.

Bob

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gifford, Paul" <pgifford (at) umflint(dot)edu>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2002 10:38 AM
Subject: RE: OT gypsy music


Brian Dichter [mailto:dbrian (at) enteract(dot)com] wrote:
> Yeah...when I listened to the record there were a couple of
> songs that were
> a little klezmer-esque and that made me wonder about the
> klezmer-gypsy music
> connection. I'd like to explore more gypsy music. Are there
> any hungarian,
> russian or "other" gypsy records you recommend?
>
I'm not really up on current recordings. There are probably
lots on the Qualiton label, like Sandor Deki Lakatos, Ferenc
Santa, etc.  These, however, are strictly Hungarian. If you
want American-born or raised cosmopolitan, commercial stuff,
you have to look for '50s LPs and '30s-'40s 78s. Possible Jewish
groups or leaders  include Michel Weiner (Romany 10" LP, 1954), that
Moskowitz didn't appear on; Murray Korda ("Gypsy in My Soul"),
on Score (1957); Emil Bruh on Dana (more Romanian); Emery Deutsch
on RCA Victor and Majestic (1940s); Alexander Haas on Mercury
and Keynote; Jasha Datsko (Russian; "Candlelight and Roses") on
a 10" LP and 78 album.  The most-recorded Hungarian group in
the U.S. on 78s was led by Aladar Sio; this was a Hungarian
Jewish group, according to Martzi Kallao, a Gypsy cellist who
was in New York then. Early on Meyer Davis recorded Hungarian
Gypsy music (1910s).  Some of this pan-ethnic marketing in the
1930s-1950s was similar to what happened to polka music at the
same time. There's a lot more that could be said about this music
but getting too heavily into it is probably off-topic.  On the
other hand, there's very little on this in print or on the
internet.

Paul Gifford

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