Fanfare Ciocărlia

It should go without saying that From Filmers to Farmers (FF2F) doesn't live from bread alone. Less obvious is what FF2F does also live from, that largely being the blistering and monstrous sounds originating from the hills of the remote Romanian village of Zece Prajini. Because what you'll find emanating from there is none other than the world-renowned Romanian Gypsy brass band – Fanfare Ciocărlia.

Who is this Fanfare Ciocărlia that you've likely never heard of, and who are these musicians you'll interspersed on FF2F posts? Well, they're a bunch of former subsistence farmers who "formed" back in 1996 but who harken back further, their craft having been learned as children while listening to their fathers and uncles in the backyards of their secluded village – those fathers and uncles having done the same with their elders a generation earlier, a process that has repeated itself over the decades (if not the centuries) and which in turn allowed for the musicians of Zece Prajini to earn the well-deserved reputation of being the most revered wedding musicians in the land.

The aforementioned is no mere make-believe story pulled from a quaint foreign film with subtitles, because Fanfare Ciocărlia are in fact as real as it gets, and you can read more about their origins by starting with the first FF2F post in which they appeared, a post that touches on the fact that their small Romanian village of Zece Prajini, their way of life, and their music, was terminally threatened upon the collapse of the Soviet Union. But not only did they survive, but they've since proceeded to play for a Nobel Peace Prize concert (representing Eastern Europe, mentioned in this post), have been commissioned by Sacha Baron Cohen to put together a version of Born to Be Wild for a movie of his (which can be heard via this retrospective post), and much, much more. In fact, their albums seem to have an uncanny habit of being recognised with all sorts of awards, including their most recent, Onwards to Mars!

While you can find much more about these monsters of brass and their incomporably powerful and lightning speed music – that simultaneously overflows with joy and humour – via their website as well as the several FF2F posts in which they've already appeared (you can see FF2F's Fanfare Ciocărlia tag for an overview of those), you might be happy to hear that you can also expect to see Fanfare Ciocărlia making repeated appearances as this blog meanders through its array of topics.

In the meantime, you can find their music via the usual outlets, including the online music service Bandcamp (where 80% - 85% of all proceeds go to the musicians themselves):

Fanfare Ciocărlia

Fanfare Ciocărlia are a 24-legged brass beast whose eastern funk groove has torn up halls and festivals across the planet. Their energy and ingenuity having won them fans from Melbourne to Memphis, Tokyo to Toulouse.

Bandcamp

And be sure to check out FF2F's new "Sounds of SARS, with Fanfare Ciocărlia" page for a continuously expanding selection of their music: