Gogol Bordello

I am currently listening to Bublitschki by Gogol Bordello. As some of you may know, that song is in the movie Everything is Illuminated. (based on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer)

A couple of months ago, a friend of mine was talking about this "hysterical gypsy punk band." Of course I checked it out. So I'm sitting there, [a Polish immigrant], going "...this sounds like polka... wait a minute, I understand some of this." So I did what every other person would think of in this day and age - I googled him. I soon discovered that Gogol Bordello is a native of Ukraine and has traveled throughout the likes of Russia, Austria, and Poland. He combined all these cultural influences into his music and has enticed me as a fan.

Er, Gogol Bordello is the name of the band. It's not a person. The frontman is Eugene Hutz, who was also in the Everything Is Illuminated movie.

There's another band which is an offshoot of Gogol Bordello that I think are even better. Their name is Balkan Beat Box. They combine that Balkan sound with Mediterranean, Arabic, and Jewish folk, mashing it up with some rock and hip hop.

I've not had a proper chance to check them out after discovering them a few months ago, but I don't know whether to be put off by them performing with Madonna or not.

Start Wearing Purple!
My school had some career day stuff set up and one of the booths was giving out mixed Cd's and one of the songs was Start Wearing Purple by them. I was instantly hooked. It's so happy and wierd, what's not to like?

Both Gogol Bordello and Balkan Beat Box are coming to town in November. I already have a ticket for Gogol Bordello, but maybe I should get one for Balkan Beat Box too?

I've got Gogol Bordello on my MP3 player.

I've just got to say- this Gogol is a real Bordello!

Wonderlust King is an amazing song, total gypsy punk Apparently they are brilliant live.

Ourania said:

Wonderlust King is an amazing song, total gypsy punk Apparently they are brilliant live.

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Not brilliant, but very good all the same.

A friend living in Bristol sent me a Gogol Bordello CD - Gypsy Punks Underdog World Strike. Absolute gold. Also recently bought Super Taranta. They are on high rotation on my ipod. Hope they come to Aussieland soon, they would rock at the Big Day Out or Womad.

A few months ago I found out about them and I think they are great.

A friend linked me to "Start wearing purple" because purple is my favorite color. At first I was like =b, but then I was like

I think my first response was "this sounds like gypsies fornicating on a picnic table". Since then Super Taranta gets a listen every few days.

WoundedThorns said:

I am currently listening to Bublitschki by Gogol Bordello. As some of you may know, that song is in the movie Everything is Illuminated. (based on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer)

A couple of months ago, a friend of mine was talking about this "hysterical gypsy punk band." Of course I checked it out. So I'm sitting there, [a Polish immigrant], going "...this sounds like polka... wait a minute, I understand some of this." So I did what every other person would think of in this day and age - I googled him. I soon discovered that Gogol Bordello is a native of Ukraine and has traveled throughout the likes of Russia, Austria, and Poland. He combined all these cultural influences into his music and has enticed me as a fan.

Click to expand...

Jak mowisz po polsku, mozesz bardzo latwo rozumiesz po Ukrainsku, nie?

The Ukrainians pronounce their letter "G" (written like the Greek letter Gamma) like an "H".
The Spanish do this, the Czechs, The Slovaks and Dutch, as well as Ukrainians have converted the "G" sound into an "H" sound.

So Ukrainians say "HOHOL" instead of "GOGOL".

I remember reading in Gogol's novel, "Taras Bulba" about how Taras Bulba was present in the Old Town Square in Warsaw when the Poles executed his son.

Then when you read Polish literature like "With Fire and Sword" (Z Ogniem i Miecziem) by Henryk Sienkiewicz, you see that there were centuries of mutual distrust and animosity between the two nations.

Recent events have changed all of this. Poles now love Ukrainians and want to help them into the EU. It has been an amazing transformation. Very nice to see in this world of senseless conflict.

Viva Polska!
Viva Ukraina!

Too bad Putin did not get that memo.