Indie Music Review

Nine Rain
MEXartes festival
Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin
Reviewed by Oxana Dudina

In case there were any doubts about the benefits of Multiculturalism, Nine Rain offers a startlingly positive proof. As incongruous as it may seem to put an American saxophone player, and a German electric bass player together with a Mexican rock band, the result is superb. This international group creates a unified sound interlacing jazz, rock and Latin American rhythms. (more…)

PHILIPPOPOLIS
reviewed by Oxana Dudina

A group of men dressed as monks, each with a lit candle, came out into the church harmoniously singing the traditional orthodox prayer “Lord, have mercy upon us!” (more…)

Apocalyptica
KuZ
reviewed by Gary Levinson

Apocalyptica, a group of 4 classical Finnish musicians, play hard rock (a.k.a. metal) on classical cellos. It makes for a most unusual concert. While there is a certain monotony to the musical tone, the range of melodies they play, their own creations as well as covers of Metallica, Nazareth, etc., is just fantastic. Definitely worth seeing.

David Broza
by Oxana Doudina
with Gary Levinson

You give yourself up to the power of music when a wonderful musical master is on the stage.

With 21 albums (including gold, platinum and multi-platinum releases) behind him, he has already been acknowledged by a large audience in Israel - his homeland - where it is estimated that one in three families owns one of his records, in Spain, and in the USA where he previously lived and found subjects for his songs. (more…)

Vaerttinae
Frankfurter Hof
reviewed by Jutta Ziegler

Lucky the person who could understand the Karelian dialect of Finnish. Vaerttinae are a six-piece band plus three female singers from the Eastern part of Finland, near the Russian border. Their particular vernacular is difficult to understand even for native speakers. It was no surprise, then, that Vaerttinae’s exotic- sounding lyrics had a stunning effect on the audience. The three vocalists made good use of their high, but agreeable voices, giving an excellent performance of melancholy numbers rooted in the Russian tradition, several quick-paced dance tunes, and a traditional wedding song as well as arrangements for two or three voices and a cappella singing. (more…)