CrammedBlog

News From The Studios!

CIBELLE is putting the finishing touches to her second album, due for release in April 2006. The tracks were recorded mostly in São Paulo and London, and were coproduced by Cibelle, Apollo Nove and Mike Lindsay (from up and coming UK folktronica act Tunng). Final takes and mixes are taking place in Paris with engineer Yann Arnaud.

TARTIT: Crammed are about to start recording the new album by this Tuareg band who live in the Sahara (in northern Mali), and recently took part in the Desert Blues shows alongside Afel Bocoum & Habib Koité. The album will be recorded in the desert by (Congotronics man) Vincent Kenis on his mobile studio, and in collaboration with Michel Winter, who has been looking after the career of Tartit (with his management company Divano, which also takes care of Taraf de Haidouks, Mahala Rai Banda and Konono N°1 among others).

BEBEL GILBERTO has been writing and recording songs for her 3rd album.

TUXEDOMOON are working on a largely instrumental soundtrack album.

THINK OF ONE: the ebullient Belgian combo have just signed a recording agreement with Crammed, and are working on their new album, due out in late March 2006. Entitled « Chuva em pô 2 », the album was recorded with several musicians & vocalists from the Brazilian northeast, including legendary veteran singer Dona Cila do Côco. Their first « Chuva em pô » project had come out on their own, tiny label, yet had managed to obtain a BBC Award for World Music. Think Of One think of themselves as musical explorers, and have previously travelled around the globe to record with Moroccan and Inuit artists.

CONGOTRONICS 3 : watch this space for more news on the recording of the forthcoming volume in the series !

New Tour Dates added

Check for latest added tour dates and updates on Crammed LIVE website section.

New Tour dates added for DJ Dolores, Cibelle, Konono N°1, Zuco 103, Taraf de Haïdouks, Mahala Rai Banda and Koçani Orkestar

Mahala Rai Banda in Japan

Mahala Rai Banda will perform 03 & 04/05 in Roppingi Hill, Tokyo.

Check also the Mahala Rai Banda video live in Clejani (Romania)

More Tour dates here:

03/03 FRANCE PARIS NEW MORNING
06/03 GERMANY ESSEN (tbc)
11/03 SWITZERLAND LES CAVES MANOIR MARTIGNY
03/05 JAPAN TOKYO ROPPINGI HILLS ARENA
04/05 JAPAN TOKYO ROPPINGI HILLS ARENA
28/05 HOLLAND TILBURG GYPSYFESTIVAL
29/05 HOLLAND TILBURG GYPSYFESTIVAL
17/06 SWITZERLAND ZÜRICH (tbc)
07/07 CANADA QUEBEC FESTIVAL D’ETE
08/07 CANADA QUEBEC FESTIVAL D’ETE
10/07 FINLAND KAUSTINEN (tbc)
11/07 FINLAND KAUSTINEN (tbc)
13/07 FRANCE LA TESTE DE BUCHE
20/07 FRANCE ROCHEFORT
07/08 AUSTRIA HAAG (tbc) M.OST FESTIVAL
09/08 FRANCE LE MONASTIER FESTIVAL DES CUIVRES
13/08 HUNGARY BUDAPEST SZIGET FESTIVAL
15/08 HUNGARY SAROSPATAK

Mahala Rai Banda

CD out now

Mahala Rai Banda are a sensational new band from the Gypsy ghetto of Bucharest, formed by two people closely related to the Taraf de Haïdouks (violonist / arranger Aurel Ionita and Taraf musical director Stéphane Karo). Their debut album was mixed in collaboration with electrogypsy whiz Shantel, and is out now.