O JARBANZO NEGRO

• country:
  Spain
• style(s):
  Celtic Global Fusion
• label:
  Desobediencia
• artist submitted by:
  Hace Color

"…it was in 1993 when a Galician and two Extremaduran guys, together with their bagpipes and their drums, decided to take their music with them to different places. After travelling for two years and undergoing this experience, two other friends from Frankfurt (Germany) and another one from La Coruña joined the group. As a result of this, the "O Jarbanzo Negro" project was born. This project was aimed at promoting art in all its aspects and with a special emphasis on cultural exchange.

Soon, the music of this magical and well travelled group started playing on streets, parks, clubs and bars of Central Europe. In the beginning, they started as an entertainment group alternating acrobatics, juggling etc with a lively musical show but little by little they went about electrifying their repertoire and the result of this will be presented this summer as their second album. As far as their first years are concerned, we have to emphasize on the experience that this group acquired while travelling. In 1995, they visited Russia (S.Petersburg, Moscow, Brjansk, Minsk, Saratov), Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. In 1996, as they went on increasing the electrifying effects of their shows, they played in Germany and Holland and also in Sarajevo. In 1997 they toured Germany and Holland with shows similar to the ones at present (acoustic passacaglia and concerts on stage), they went back to Sarajevo and they also went to Switzerland, England, Scotland, Ireland and Croatia.

1998 was an important year for the group because they joined with the Swiss theatre company "Kran". Here they collaborated as musicians, clowns, jugglers etc. With this company they did various shows all over Germany but they still made time to visit Santiago de Compostela in July of this year. It was the first time they played in the Spanish territory as O JARBANZO NEGRO in the "Fiera das mentiras" After this year, the group decided to go ahead with their musical proposal and started to prepare their first album "Terra without grenzen".

Their second album, "Buscavidas", was launched by the record label Desobedencia in spring 2002. This album was produced by Kaki Arkarazo and was recorded in the Garate Studios in Andoain (Guipúzcoa). Here we can see the continuation of their debut as O JARBANZO NEGRO where they show what they really are: a multicultural and multilingual group. All that they want to do is to make their audience dance and feel their music. They share their concerts with small circus shows. We can see how they blend the thundering guitars and drums with sweet sounding accordions and folk bagpipes, mixed with English, Galician and Spanish words.

Since their arrival in the Spanish Territory in Spring 2000, O JARBANZO NEGRO have participated in various festivals and concerts which include the ones in La Capsa de el Prat de Llobregat in March 2000 with Manu Chao, the popular Palmeras Rock of Vallekas in June 2001, in Villacañero de Villacañas (Toledo) and in Asituna Rock de Priego of Cordoba (July 2001 or the Festival of Pardiñas (La Coruña) and the International Folk Festival of Plasencia (August 2001).

To present their second album, they toured Galicia, Madrid, Euskal -Herria, Catalunya, and Castilla- Leon between 2.002 April and June. They filled up their summer schedule participating in various festivals and concerts such as "Festa de la Diversitat" (Barcelona), "A Foliada" (Lalín, Pontevedra), "Fusion Festival" (Germany) or the "Paupaterres" (the old Ondara Folk, Tàrrega, Lleida).

In 2.003 they started touring Germany, Holland and Belgium (January-March) and from that on they have participated in summer festivals all around Europe (Maailma Kylassa in Helsinki, Nunca Mais in Bruxelles, Rock Oz'Arenes in Avenches-Switzerland, Goa Boa in Genova, Bladelse Zomer fest in Bladel-Holland…).

Links

• O JARBANZO NEGRO Website