Tekameli - Religious Gypsy Songs

From one country to another, to one language to another, the extraordinary ability of Gypsies to adapt almost challenges time itself; their societies are not without their own particular laws. On the contrary, they are nothing more than the results of the evolution of all ancestral organisations that give rise to `little` civilisations and which are unique in so many ways.
The gypsies of Perpignan (gitans), for example, have for several decades now all but ceased using the gypsy language (the Calo) preferring to adopt almost exclusively Catalan or Spanish. Tekameli - Gyspsies from Perpignan - sing both in Calo and Catalan. In the little-known geography of the Catalan gypsies, and if we ignore the political and cultural boundaries of the dominant societies, Perpignan occupies an intermediary position in the considerable spread which stretches from Valencia in southern Spain to as far north as Flanders.



"The most obvious comparison one will draw on first listening will be to the Gypsy Kings. The driving flamenco guitar, rumba-inflected rhythms, and emotion-laden melismatic singing are the legacy of the Gitan tradition. Combine that with ecstatic religious expression and the result is both intensely personal and expansively universal. What this group lacks of the Gypsy Kings' slick sheen they make up for in sincere emotional intensity. The voices are not always clear and spot-on pitchwise, but this rough-hewn quality adds to the overall impact. The sibling harmonies, however, are pure and accurate. The propulsive guitar playing by Jérémie and Jérôme is clean and expressive. Chants Religieux Gitans is refreshing in its unabashed ardor and unapologetic sense of spiritual longing." - Peggy Latkovich, RootsWorld

Tracklist:
01 Tekameli - Fill De Deu
02 Tekameli - Mis Hermanos
03 Tekameli - Gloria A Ti
04 Tekameli - Mi Lucha
05 Tekameli - Senyor Ajuda Me
06 Tekameli - Cristo
07 Tekameli - Hijos De Dios
08 Tekameli - Tu Mujer
09 Tekameli - Que Viene
10 Tekameli - Tu Consuelo
11 Tekameli - Ten Piedad
12 Tekameli - Te Clamo A Ti
13 Tekameli - L'alegria Del Senyor