Buh Buh Buh Buh BUH Buh, or Why I Still Love Balkan Beat Box

Not to lay another cryptic title on you this week, but old BBB fans know that opening vocal sample from their self-titled debut's "Adir Adirim."  From "what the heck is this?" to "need it every day" was a quick trip that summer of 2005.  I heard that tune on Radio K driving down I-94 one afternoon and bought the disc the Fetus the next day!

Trust me folks, five years and three discs later, their live show is still a "need it" kind of experience.  Here's why.

They want to help create peace in the Middle East, one dance floor at a time.  They walk the walk... and Jews and Arabs make music together.

A BBB show is always a good workout, as the band starts the "Everybody jump!!" chant about two tunes in, so the whole crowd get their blood flowing.  None of that standing around in back, swaying slightly.

You always get at least two beats at once, as  Tamir Muskat accompanies his programmed sounds live on a classic drum kit.  A few tunes a night, front man Tomer Yosef grabs a pair of sticks and beats the crap out a set of toms as well.

They love and respect the traditional stuff, although their sound is much more wild and techno.  Sax man Ori Kaplan who once said in an interview he grew up playing clarinet as a klezmer nerd.  Later in life he studied with the king of Bulgarian Wedding music saxophone, Yuri Yukanov himself.  Plus I always love their samples of Bulgarian women's harmony vocals.

Each album features new and interesting guests, including everything from Arab and Bulgarian vocalists to massive horn Balkan sections.  They also are free with the re-mix love; I see RadioClit (that's 2/3 of The Very Best, Cedar-ites) have put up a mix of BBB's "Move It."  I am rocking in my earbuds at my desk right now. What's this I see on RadioClit's Myspace...they did some remixes of Amadou and Miriam?  Now that sounds very listenable!  But I digress.  I also heard BBB in an interview once say their ultimate dream would be collaborate with M.I.A....wouldn't we all guys, wouldn't we all.  Say, where is her new album, anyway? 

In a different kind of brush with stardom, "Move It" did make onto South Park recently.  See Cartman and Kenny dance as only animated cut-outs can right here.  Their moves look at bit, shall we say Totaro-esque?  Here's the video they are ripping off.  Not Totaro-esque at all.  Now, be sure to watch the South park one first!  Really.

I once took a Balkan Music class the West Bank School. Our Bulgarian teacher was not so impressed with BBB when he check out their show.  "That is not Balkan music," he told me.  Well strictly speaking, no, it's not.  But if Balkinazation is breaking up people into smaller and smaller antaganistic groups, Balkan Beat Box-ization is putting people together into larger and larger harmonious groups.  YEAH! What could be more genuinely Balkan than a melange from all over the Middle East, Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean?

Our show on August 4 is their warmup for Lollapalooza at Grant Park in Chicago on a limited U.S. tour.  Judging by past Cedar shows, our crowd should be up for it, even on a Wednesday night!