Lamajamal – Traveling Gypsy Surfers

Lamajamal is riding the Michigan waves to Evanston this summer July 1st at Harbert Park for the Starlight Concert Series.

Lamajamal, made from the Arabic word for “beauty,” combines a wide variety of musical styles, instruments, and rhythms. A quintet of four men and one woman, they blend folk music from around the world, including the Balkans, Turkey, North-Africa, and the Middle-east, as well as a touch of '60's "Surf Sound." Influenced by everything from Manu Chao and Gogol Bordello to Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, they play a variety of instruments including the clarinet, sax, oud and guitar.

Their latest album, "Gypsy Surf," blends gypsy and folk melodies with their traditional world music. Joey Spilberg commented on their new album saying “one challenging thing has been focusing the project so that we can describe to others what we play. I think our album, 'Gypsy Surf,' really shows what we're all about."

In 2006, Lamajamal took a trip to Paris, Bulgaria and Turkey where “they played shows, collected instruments, researched folk music, partied with gypsies, and studied with local musicians.” As a part of their musical philosophy, traveling around the world, learning the music of other cultures and sharing this knowledge with others is integral to their creative process. Lamajamal has even gone as far as to establish a foundation called Intercultural Music productions to help them with this task and are currently planning their next trip to Greece and Turkey.

In Chicago, Lamajamal has also made a name for themselves, playing many festivals and venues throughout the city including the 2006 & 2007 Chicago World Music Fest. To get a preview, check out Lamajamal at The Chicago Turkish Festival on May 28th – 31st at the Daley Plaza!

So what’s the bottom line?

Lamajamal is not just an amusing palindrome but also one of the most diverse and culturally rich folk bands in the Chicago scene today. The forerunners of the Gypsy Surf music, they are a talent you won’t want to miss. Experience the ride for free at 7:30 pm on July 1st at Harbert Park!

SuperBlogger,
Lauren