"thrilling and haunting" The Times "A superior collection of first-rate musicians" Songlines Magazine "carnival-like exuberance ... enjoyable and virtuosic" FROOTS Magazine Joglaresa has a sound that is at once traditional and contemporary - combining elements of Middle Eastern, Spanish and North African musics - all underpinned by the Celtic and folk-revival upbringing of half the band… With oud, darabuka, bendir, guitar and cláirseach and searing vocals, they meld together a sound that is both extrovert and intimate. Directed by Belinda Sykes, this London-based ensemble of cultural nomads, misfits and itinerants has been playing since 1990. Their performances include the Aldeburgh Festival, York Early Music Festival, London's Lufthansa Festival, the Queen Elizabeth Hall (London), St David's Hall (Cardiff), London's Barbican Centre, Sana'a & Aden (Yemen), Brezice Early Music Festival (Slovenia), Istanbul, Amsterdam International Festival of Jewish Music, Chinchilla Early Music Festival; tours in Germany, Belgium, Italy and Holland. Numerous radio broadcasts - the world over... Their work focuses on connecting ancient and traditional musics but, rather than create a 'fusion' or a surreal mix of these styles, they aim to use their combined experiences (upbringings drenched in traditional Irish, English, Maghrebi, Balkan and Middle Eastern music) to create a homogenous sound - Joglaresa members spent years in North Africa and the Middle East absorbing the best traditional tunes, learning the local languages (Arabic and Hebrew), and even intermarrying in order to have an unfair advantage over their competitors! Exciting recording process: Abbey Road doesn’t come cheap! Sessions are geared towards commercial music with big budgets behind them and, although Joglaresa members all have a foot in the door because they are regular session players/singers on film scores, nevertheless recording here had to be a rollercoaster! - dash in, sing and play hearts out, dash out! Other CDs include: Magdalena Medieval Song for Mary Magdalen (Avie AV0026) Stella Nuova Italian Medieval Song (Joglaresa Live JOG001) Douce Dame Debonaire French Medieval Song (Joglaresa Live JOG002) Join the mailing list, visit links to Joglaresa's MySpace sites and videos from: www.Joglaresa.com