Gypsy Killer

This strangely named disc draws on the repertoire of the great Romanian singer Maria Tanase (1913-1963), who is held in iconic status. Amongst many admirers of her work is Nigel Kennedy, who chose her for his playlist in Songlines #55. The version of ‘Lume, Lume’, probably her most famous song, that Sanda Weigl sings here is glorious, accompanied by cimbalom and trombone. Weigl has a rich voice with a compelling power whether singing loudly or softly.

Weigl has quite a story. She was born in Bucharest, Romania, where she sang these songs on TV, but her family was forced to leave to East Berlin in 1961. There she joined a rock band and made it into the GDR charts. After protesting the Warsaw Pact repression of the Prague Spring, her music was banned and she managed to get to West Berlin. Since 1992 she has lived in New York where she’s returned to the music she loved as a child. The arrangements, by Anthony Coleman, are spare and effective and feature top class musicians, including Marc Ribot on guitar, Glen Velez on hand drums, Alicia Svigals on violin and Matt Dariau on kaval. With these contemporary arrangements, this is a compelling way into the work of Maria Tanase – whose original recordings are also on Oriente – with ‘Lume, Lume’, ‘Pina cind nu te Lubeam’ and ‘Cintec de Leagan’ being the standout tracks.