ROMASHKA--- the New York City gypsy dance party band --- is back at Mehanata for its 2nd annual Old Year party!     Say farewell to the old year and help us bring in the New Year with punchy Russian romances, balkan beats, Romanian madness, and pure recession-proof Romashka magic!

See you on the dance floor!!!  And pass this email to 10 of your best friends - we hear it brings 10 years of good luck ;)

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27TH
Mehanata, the Bulgarian Bar
113 Ludlow Street  (between Rivington and Delancey)

Start:  ~8:30 pm, End: 10:30 pm
$10 cover

About Romashka:
Romashka is a driving force in New York City's burgeoning gypsy and balkan music scene, playing gypsy and folk music from Russia, Romania, the Balkans, and beyond. Lithuanian-born singer Inna Barmash fronts a band nine wildly versatile NY musicians, denizens of fertile downtown grounds. At full blast, Romashka has a violin, viola, accordion, guitar, trumpet, clarinet/saxophone, tuba, and percussion.
http://www.romashka.net

Get ready!  Romashka is making its debut at the legendary New York venue, JOE'S PUB, on January 17th, 2007 in a double bill with LJOVA AND THE VJOLA CONTRABAND - details and videos at http://www.ljova.com/vjola_contraband_joes_pub_romashka

LJOVA AND THE VJOLA CONTRABAND is original music for the "remix generation". As if by alchemy, Eastern-European and Gypsy melodies, Latin rhythms, Jazz-inspired improvisations, and deeply rooted Classical forms are given new meanings. Founded by the maverick film composer, arranger, and violist Lev 'LJOVA' Zhurbin --- hailed by Billboard magazine as "one of New York's fastest rising composers and instrumentalists" -- the ensemble features two violas, accordion, bass, and percussion. Inspired by his collaborations with Yo-Yo Ma, Osvaldo Golijov, the Kronos Quartet, the rapper Jay-Z and others, Ljova's compositions dazzle with intricate textures, odd rhythms and lilting melodies, creating music that is both fresh and timeless.

Like a shot of honey-pepper vodka, ROMASHKA sweetens your lips, hits you heavy in the gut, and induces vertiginous euphoria. Listening to this "lethal dose of gypsy firewater" (DJ Joro-Boro, Mehanata), the brassy Balkan beats make you pound your feet, sexy string and accordion syncopations make your hips shake and the heart-twisting Russian tangos and tales of lost love make your spirit sigh and cry. Lithuanian-born singer Inna Barmash fronts a band of multifaceted American musicians and one half-Romanian madcap accordionist, who bring years of Klezmer, jazz and rock experience to their Gypsy music journey.
Roma is the Gypsy term for the Gypsy people. The complex rhythms and odd harmonics in Gypsy music are enough to enthrall musicologists, but to understand it, all you need are ears, a heart, and... a heart.

A few weeks ago, Romashka spent a beautiful afternon horsing around, styling each other's hair, and playing their hearts out in a studio in Williamsburg. The video was filmed and directed by Trevor Bayack, the creator of the groundbreaking music video community ssite, the New Pop Sensation.

  check it out!

---romashka

Yet another wonderful review (we're blushing :)
on All About Jazz, by Elliot Simon, read the full review here, and here are some of our favorite excerpts:

"The pumping tuba of Ron Caswell, quick Jeff Perlman sax runs, the frenetic fiddling of Jake Shulman-Ment, and the oh so powerfully sweet horn of one of NYC’s best young trumpeters, Ben Holmes, make for a danceable delight."

"With no apologies to Hernando’s Hideaway, Stevhen Iancu’s accordion makes “Tayna (A Secret)” a flowing forum for Barmash to vocally layer a Russian feel on top of this tango with beautiful results."

"This is hot music for cold nights; Romashka rocks."

Romashka CD was #8 in a CMJ world music top ten from June!

First blog entry -

We are so happy to play at Maia, one of our favorite venues AND restaurants!
Come see us on November 3rd, 2005
More info at http://www.romashka.net