Slobo Horo
Divane (Deevaneh)
Rockadillo (2000)
(www.rockadillo.fi)

Divane is Slobo Horo's third album, like the cover in murky green and browns, a murky collection of already wedding band jazzed up Balkan-Turkish-Rom music rocked up by a kaleidoscope of Finnish-received pop and rock. Divane is for the most part what one could call "dirty" music, meaning the sound of the instruments rather than anything lyrical, plenty of sultry clarinet and sax, lit up at times like its cover with its hot fiery yellow Slobo Horo logo, by "bright" moments of electric guitar or accordion. If one is wise, one will accept that this is a Balkan album that "rocks" and leave it go at that.

Ten of the twelve tracks are songs with vocals by guitarist Jarkko Niemi, two are instrumentals. Some are traditional, some written by someone else, some written by the accordionist Heikki Autio. Some are wild, some slower; there is a dichotomy between songs about sleazy characters and aesthetic poetry by Turkish poets. Jarrko's vocals swing between a strong, melodic Tex-Czech polka style and sort of an ethno-crooning moan.

The liner notes are a mystery, clues to country of origin veiled as artist credits and stories rather than clearly reported. There are no songs I recognize here, not surprising, but many of the titles were new to my more Balkanish friends as well.

"Mente" is slithery, like the fake liquor and other items it is reported to describe, " Osman Aga" begans as surf, very bouncy (1-2, 1-2) , a traditional song proposing a trade of Osman's daughter for "rakija-liquor." "Semah" sets boistrous pop-rock with a poem of the Turkish Pir Sultan. Dostlug Ragsi is an instrumental including tar, one of the few ethnic instruments on the album. "Divane Gonlum," set to "lyrics" by Kul Yusuf: "I am waiting for a message from my beloved..." (perhaps more of a spiritual song than casual reading indicates), is the heavy plodding soaring guitar track, ...and "Zbogom," probably Yugoslav and possibly meaning "With God" stands out for its accordion hooks reminiscent of my South African "Sound of the Mines" LP...or perhaps Oysterband. "Sahane Gozler," a traditional Turkish urban folk song is a sax hustling tribute to Deli Selim...

My major reservation to this CD, besides being pulled into thinking about it, is that I don't care for some of the rock styles on it, thought maybe I could escape forever from the intro to "Roll Over Beethoven." But otherwise it's a nice, solid, quirky (and murky) recording with plenty of rock, plenty of Balkan.

judith@gorge.net

The Columbia Gypsy