BABELE BEAT BAND

world music & new beats from Slovakia

BABELE BEAT BAND based in Slovakia, middle-eastern  Europe. The band is mainly influenced by music of nations living in region of Karphatian mountains, middle – eastern Europe and Balkan.  in combination with new grooves and sounds.

BABELE

confusion like in the tower of Babel & mountain in Rumenia (Carphatian mountains) & jidisch word  for small children (sweetheart)

BEAT

new beats and grooves, connection between tradition and modern feeling

BAND

unit of musicans from several countries, cooperation between various traditions in Danube and Carpathian area

The Band has in spring 2022 released a new album BUBU FOREST. It is inspired by jazz and Carpahatian music from middle-estern Europe. Beside the band members Dominika Debnárová (voice), Pavol Berezua (guitar), Juraj Raši (drums, udu drum, drum voice, keybord), Matej Štubniak (bassguitar, double bass), Erik Rothenstein – reeds, flute has couple of guest musicians cooperate on this recording. GUESTS: Ľuboš Šrámek (piano), Ján Oriško (riq), Eddy Portella (congas), Balázs Dongó Szokolay (transylvanian flutes, pipes and fujara) and Kirilo Stoyanov (darbuka), Maxim Rothestein (voice).

VIDEO – Babele beat band: DANUBE AND ME

The video adapt the rhythm of the river’s flow and the feeling of the unchanging timelessness of nature in contrast with the hurried everyday life. “The music and lyrics seem to express the merging of the soul with the flow of the river and the surrounding nature. The Danube has been flowing here for many generations and we just take turns at it and feel its vibrations and the presence of all its creatures that live in and around it ….” adds saxophonist Erik Rothenstein.

TRANSCARPHATIAN ETHNOTRANS – with Maxim Rothenstein and Dongo

Songs from the Bubu Forest LIVE (Hevhetia festival 2021)

QUENTIN’S TUNE with drum voice by Juraj Raši

BABELE BEAT BAND The area of middle – eastern Europe and Balkan is a very interesting place to discover similar culters and approaches to music. Many domestic folklore traditions were mixed together and influenced each other many years. Our band tryes to take this as a basis for our music concept and is looking for new approaches and ways to play and compose songs in this manner.
This is the main reason why the Band cooperates with musicians from different countryes and regions – from Slovakia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Czech republic or Hungary.

Reunion with Serbian singer and musician Marko Kukobat

Babele beat band with guest from Hungary, player on transilvanian flutes and tarogato – Balasz Dongo Szokolay – LIVE in Bratislava

LIVE from Gypsy Jazz Festival Bratislava 2020

THE FOOLS OF CHELM

Babele beat band performs a program based on the Singerś novel THE FOOLS OF CHELM

The music was inspired by the novel of I.B. Singer´s novel The Fools of Chelm. It is an interesting fussion of new approach to klezmer and modern jazz improvisation. The album also contains original lyrics, which help better descripe its atmosphere. The Klezmer style originates from a characteristic, expressively strong melody, which reminds one of the human voice. Using the „speach“ of klezmer, solo and collective improvisation in interesting author´s compositions and mixing folk and jazz features gives the music an unique charakter. The author, Isaac Bashevis Singer, wrote a novel called The Fools of Chelm (and their History).The book was primarily written for children, but it may also please and advise adults. Using an enthralling style, the book describes the history of a poor town, Chelm. The story revolves around a situation when a word crisis suddenly appears in the vocabulary of the town citizens. The ruler, Gronam and his council of wise men, suddenly realises that the town is in a crisis which needs to be dealt with. Singer is a master in story-telling (presenting). Using plays on words and inteligent humour, he left behind the message that we should learn to distinguish human stupidity and narrowmindedness, even if born in the heads of our leaders. He amuses the reader with absurd and funny stories, but in the background he raises a warning finger, pointing out the danger that threatens from our leaders, who often act the same as the Fools of Chelm. The purpose of this project is to pass on such message using a musical adaptation. The Fools of Chelm is a project, which connects written text with written music in the Jazz and Klezmer style. It strives to grasp the main features of Singer’s novel The Fools of Chelm, and by the use of musical instruments express Jewish humour and wit, as well as the tears hidden behind it.

KLEZMER SONGS

SOUNDCLOUD