It’s really pluralism which cHaracterize BEST URS KARPATZ, group of polyphonies, polyrythms and polyinstruments.
This ensemble, with its extraordinary ethnomusical range, plays and sings in romanès, gypsy language, a high quality repertoire, reflecting and echoing gypsy culture in Europe. The group members come from Ukraine, Hungary and Romania. VIOLINS, SMALL AND BIG, CYMBALLUM, DOUBLEBASS, DRUMS, ACCORDION, CYTHARE, FLUTE, CLARINET AND SAXO ARE JUDICIOUSLY MIXED WITH VOICES.
Urs KARPATZ is far from an ordinary gypsy group.
Its history isn’t banal, and we could have discovered it through a Tony Gatlif movie...
At the beginning, there is a man, Dimitri, descendant of pirates and travellers. An eventful childhood for background... When he was 4 years old, he escaped to join the romanichel camp located near his home in order “to do waht I want”! Commotionned teenages, dreams of trips and music... Then starts his long road following gypsies through all the eastern europe countries.
One day, during one of his trip in Bosnia with nomad gyspsies bear breeders, Dimitri saves a child of the group from drowning. As a token of his gratitude, the child father gives him a trained baby bear. Gift impossible to refuse! That’s how Dimitri decided to rebirth the craft of showing bears...associated with gypsy music.
Started then the search for musicians, 8 singers from the best ones, the most originals and above all proud not to deny their Romani culture! Thus in 1993, the group Urs KARPATZ were born. It’s in august 1993, during the Gypsy Nights of Saint-Raphaël that URS KARPATZ performed for the firts time. It was a great success ! Very fast, the group filled out and performed about 30 times in France in 1993 associating concerts and bear shows.
At the beginning of 1995, a first album released in France, composed of extracts from concerts played in St Raphaël (1993) and in Saintes Maries de la Mer in may 1994. And here they are in december 1995 for 5 weeks in the Theater du Tourtour in Paris!
Since then, the group fills out each year with a new album : in december 1999, it’s with the releasing of "Chemins de Tsiganie" that they filled up the theatre Européen in Paris, for 3 weeks! The album "Routes et Racines" is presented during 3 exceptionnal concerts in the Bataclan hall in Paris in november 2000. The last night, they received ROMANES AWARD 2001. Their last album “Tsinghindia” released in 2003, in which a rajasthani gypsy drums player accompanies them.
Some references ... Scène Nationale d’Albi – Scène Nationale d’Alençon – Scène Nationale de Belfort – OMCB de Bellegarde – Théâtre de Béthune –Théâtre du Colisée de Biarritz – Scène Nationale de Besançon,Cannes, Cahors, Chaumont – Scène Nationale de Cherbourg – Centre Culturel de Dourdan – Centre Culturel de La Ferté Bernard –Scène Nationale de Flers de l’Orne– Théâtre de la Princesse Grâce de Monaco, Montauban, Théâtre de Montélimar, Montreuil, Montgeron, Paris (La Villette) - Centre Culturel de Poitiers, Puteaux, Rennes, Théâtre de Rezé les Nantes, Rillieux Les Saintes Maries de la Mer, Strasbourg,
St-Dié, St-Gervais, Scène Nationale de St-Quentin en Yvelines, Centre Culturel de Villepreux, Vitré, Vanves, Wittelsheim - Ile de la Réunion
Angers l’Eté - Chaumont l’Eté - Chorus des Hauts de Seine - Festival d’Auvers-sur-Oise - Festival de la Baie de Concarneau - Festival de l’Abbaye de Sylvanes - Festival de Nitting - Festival de Radio France Montpellier -Festival de Robion - Festival de St-Florent-sur-Cher -Festival de Vivonne - Festival des Abbayes de St-Paul les Dax - Festival d’Eté de Toulouse - Eté musical en Bergerac - Festival International Tsigane de Strasbourg - Jazz en Artois - L’Eté musical de St-Léonard - La Fête à Léon de St-Brieuc - Latina 2000 Le Puy en Velay - Les Jeudis au Port à Brest - Les Nuits du Sud –Vence - L’Eté du Grand Jardin en Haute Marne - Festival ZIVA à Bourges - Festival de Pau - Festival Classique de La Beaume en Ardèche - Festival de St-Denis - Mosaïque Gitane en Arles À l'étranger
Tournées en Allemagne, Belgique, Canada, Hollande, Italie, Luxembourg, Suisse,
Afrique, Océan Indien
Press "Urs karpatz don’t care about fashions... their romani culture sweats through each one of their compositions or their interpretations. Full of vibes, lively music, gypsy music !" Tony GATLIF,movie maker
"We first think that they come from a picture book as they exactly look like gypsy from our mind. Musicians and singers,they are as tough as wandering country men, but each one is a generous virtuoso, sometimes malicious, always authentic. Complicity with the audience easily sets up.
As Urs Karpatz offer a healthy swing, we are always more lively to have met them." Jean FAVRE Director of théâtre du Tourtour
"Urs KARPATZ are not gypsy from breeding. They grown up in open air. They have faces coming from a Kusturica movie and they give us a music like a hurrycane..." Gérard BIARD, journalist About the C.D
"Urs KARPATZ won aver me immediately…
Indeed, what makes this group is that they really and greatly follow the work of disappeared gypsy masters. And I see that Urs KARPATZ works with an unusual professionnalism for gypsies "on the road". To the antipodes of gypsy musics "for tourists", Urs KARPATZ interpreters, without any concession to soppy, perfect virtuosos instrumentists, reach their aim with brio. And they join those who proove us that Nietzsche were right when saying "without music, life would be a mistake...." Long life to Urs KARPATZ ! » Marcel CELLIER Ethno-Musicologue
Repertoires The group can play specific repertoires according to various and different programs :
- JAZZ repertoire
- CLASSICAL repertoire
- SACRED repertoire
- Churches, small halls ( acoustic concerts )
- Special events nights, bals, galas ( Hungarian, russian and cabaret club repertoire )
Discography
M. Tziganes Traditionnelles 1994
Gipsy Voices 1995
Voix Tziganes 1996
Chemins de Tziganies 1998
Routes et Racines 2000
Autour de Sarah 2001
Tsighindia 2002
Dist: SOCADISC
2006
LE BEST OF 2005
AQ 346
Distribution SOCADISC SC
2006
2008