Giorgioud - 1-23-2012 at 11:54 AM
Greetings,
I am an oud player (been playing the oud for a relatively short time, but I've been playing guitar for 31 years, bass for 29 and bouzouki for 25, most
of them professionally) and I am looking for band or musicians in the Sussex or London areas of the United Kingdom. I am into all kinds of music, but
I want to focus particularly on: Arabic, North African, Balkan, Roma, Klezmer, Afghan, Indian, Pakistani, Greek, Flamenco music played with abandon
and passion (I hesitate to use the words "played with punk attitude", because I don't want to give the impression I like to use distorted guitars,
ineptitude or suchlike, but I would like to do to Oriental music what The Pogues did with the Celtic heritage), with a modern slant. Singers (Male and
Female), darbouka players, double bass players especially needed for the foundation from which to build up the rest of the project, but absolutely
every instrument is totally welcomed. I want to take this all the way, I have a vision for which I know there is a potential market and an audience,
so if you're interested please do get in touch. I hope to hear from you soon.
Bye
Giorgio
Ararat66 - 1-23-2012 at 12:57 PM
Hi Giorgio
I haven't forgotten you my friend, busy start to the year - I'll call you.
Best wishes
Leon
Giorgioud - 1-23-2012 at 01:38 PM
Hello Leon,
not to worry, I know how busy one is in these hectic lives we are forced to live, it is a totally open project and you are very welcome to join in
when time will allow you. Thanks for the reply, much appreciated.
Take care, hope you're well and so's your family
Salaamelekoum
jack - 1-23-2012 at 07:49 PM
Hi Giorgio,
I love the description of your vision. A fabulous intent. I'll be delighted when you and your band tour to Canada, and I can enjoy the fruits of your
labours.
Giorgioud - 1-24-2012 at 01:36 PM
Thanks Jack, I really appreciate your encouragement. Although it's a long way away, and there are a lot of people to find and a lot of music to be
rehearsed and a lot of concerts to be played, it'll be a gas to tour Canada when it'll happen and you'll be most definetly on the guest list!!! For
real!!!
littleseb - 1-24-2012 at 02:52 PM
cool concept, i like!
i had a similar project going a few years ago. we mixed east african and yemeni licks with the uk / irish folk punk. ouds and riqs and guitars and a
drum kit and whiskey fueled pogues-style singing like. proper fun that was!
good luck with your band, let us know how you get on!
Giorgioud - 1-25-2012 at 06:59 AM
Hi littleseb
thanks for your reply. Wow, your band must have sounded amazing! Why did that end? What a shame, if you don't mind me saying so.....any chance of
hearing it somewhere? And, what are you doing now, musically speaking? Thanks for the words of empathy, I am well chuffed and pleased. I remember your
monicker. Did you find the oud repairer in London, eventually? Take care, all the best
Giorgio
littleseb - 1-25-2012 at 08:45 AM
hiya!
yeah, that band was fun. it was quite a big outfit with violins and violas and lots of other musos. it all fell apart when a couple of us moved away.
we tried other musicians, but the spark had gone. we were all mates and never wanted to be a band with loads of session musos. also, at that point my
playing wasn't really up to scratch, so i decided to hide for a while to learn proper. i'll see if i can dig out some old recordings and might put
some up on soundcloud. they're probably rough as, we never got round to recording proper, so it's all done in my sitting room on a dodgy 8 track. i'll
prolly pm you a link, i don't think the world wants to hear our rough demos, lol!
oud-wise i'm not doing any group stuff atm, just taking lessons and polishing up my skills. there'll be a time when i will get the urge to play with
others again, but for now i'm happy just practising. my playing's well shabby, considering i've been playing for over two years. but i'm practicing a
lot at the moment and taking regular lessons, so i'm getting better.
i just started a 'rembetirock' outfit with some mates, one of them plays bouzouki. it's cool, sort of like psychedelic rembetika rock. mindblowing,
far out stuff 
i also do session work for a couple of bands (playing mainly kit), and late last year did a little tour with a musical i wrote. t'was fun.
yeah, i ended up fixing that oud myself in the end, i was panicking at the time as i had a concert to prepare for. i have since upgraded to a better
oud though (got meself a floater), so all's good.
where you at, musically?
and please let me know how your project develops, i really am interested mate!
seb
Giorgioud - 1-25-2012 at 11:15 AM
Hi Seb,
it sounds great what you did with your previous band. I am definetly interested in listening to something, even rough demos, I won't certainly mind
about the quality of the recording, it's not what it's all about.
Your new outfit too, sounds like something really good. I've got a lot of time for Rebetiko. In fact, it was one of my gateways in the wonderful world
of oriental music, a long time ago. I still shiver every time I listen to Vassili Tzitzani or Sotiria Bellou. Tzitzani and Marika Ninou's album, "Ee
megalee tou rebetikou" (and Manolis Khiotis), prompted me to learn the bouzouki.
Your new band sounds in description like something similar to what a Turkish band is doing at the moment. They are called Baba Zula, have you heard of
them? They use a lot of dance loops, probabily in that they differ from your project. There is an electric bozouq in the line-up, very
nice..........
Musically I am....well, everywhere, really. I like music played with passion and I loath what is passed for music these days. I have a rock
background, but I haven't listened to anything remotely rock for years now. My favourite oud player is Omar Naqashbandi, but I don't actually listen
to many oud players. Weird thing to do, given I am trying to play the oud. But alas, I play guitar too and I never listen to other guitarists. They
might influence me, you know what I mean?
You've got a floater? Wow, well done mate! That is my dream! One day, inshallah.....who made it?
I will surely let you know how the project develops, thank you so much for the interest. And please, give me a shout when you are ready to play again.
It's an open project and I don't want to be the only oud player in the ensemble. It'll be a lot more like an orchestra, a lot of sound of total
togetherness.
I have just come back from meeting a violin player from Iraqi Kurdistan and I have been contacted by a percussionist. Last week I've been to London to
meet an Algerian mandole player and I am in touch with a double bass player who told me she'll be available to play from early February. And I am
trying to rope in two Algerians, a darbouka player and a keyboard player who I played with in the past.....and I'll be finding a way to get my stuff
played to a couple of other people who are interested, and I have contacted also a drummer who seems well into it, and there also another oud player
who's very good and hopefully will check me out soon (he actually frequents these very Mike's oud cyberpages) .....slowly but surely, it's all coming
together, and I will make it happen.
So, give us a shout whenever you feel free!
Ta-da for now
Giorgio
Ararat66 - 1-25-2012 at 11:30 AM
Hi Giorgio
Have you ever heard of Lubo Alexandrov and Kaba Horo - I reckon you'd like it.
Cheers
Leon
Giorgioud - 1-25-2012 at 01:52 PM
Hey Leon,
Lubo Alexandrov and Kaba Horo. Thanks for the tip! Very very grateful for it They are simply fantastic!!! Yayyy!!! (after having calmed down and wiped
the sweat off) well, that's kind of the direction I'd like the project to go to, but not quite....I'd like more emphasis on microtones but also on
Klezmer and, you know what, I am not adverse to the experimentalism exhibited in people like the classical composer Luigi Nono.......but not
po-faced....but the most important thing is: I want TWO dancers like the one in Kaba Horo....or make that THREE!!! Thanks mate, and if you've got more
music like that, pass them my way,pleese
Cheers
Giorgio