česky | english
In the broad daylight
even the sounds shine
Fernando Pessoa
Gabriela Vermelho / voice, violin, viol
Robert Prokop / sampler, didgeridoo
Adrian Ševeček / drums
Peter Fillak / el.guitar, oud
Amit Chatterjee / guitar, vocal, sitar – as the special guest
Maraca, world music and alternative group mixing jazz, rock and electronic music, with folk roots from all over the world. Czech Grammy nominated for their second album Longe with mystic portuguese lyrics by Fernando Pessoa. The singer Gabriela Vermelho won the Radok´s award as the most talented artist in the Czech Republic of 2005. Maraca collaborates with Indian guitar, sitar player and singer Amit Chatterjee (Joe Zawinul Syndicate) and has just released a new album "The body is too slow for me“
The Body Is Too Slow For Me ( Indies Scope Records - MAM319-2)
Maraca is a decoration of the Czech musical scene. Everyone who has heard any of its albums or seen the band live must realize this fact. Maraca, which proved by its previous album Longe that it ranks amongst the top of the world music, and won the nomination for the genre award of the Music Academy Andl 2004. This time they invited an Indian guitar player Amit Chatterjee for the recording of thein new album. Until recently a permanent member of The Zawinul Syndicate is an absolute world number one in guitar playing and singing and he cooperates with such prominent figures as Sting or Carlos Santana. The singer of Maraca, Gabriela Vermelho, obtained a prestigious Alfred Radok’s Award 2005 in the “talent of the year” category for the participation in the musical performance “Balada pro banditu” (A Ballad for the Bandit). In its third long-playing album Maraca sails on the wave of contemporary interest in culturally charged ethnic groups and continues in intermingling ohnic culture with sharper jazz-rock mood; with a typical carefulness it captures, seams together and interweaves songs with their own ideas and a rich repertoáre of instruments. All this is immensely assisted by the world-known guitar and sitar player and singer Amit Chatterjee. The overall sound of the band is more rock-like than before. Electric guitar dominates but also violin and acoustic guitar have their say, as well as Arabian lutes, didgeridoo or computer samples. This is accompanied with a seductive voice of the singer, violinist and violist Gabriela Vermelho, which abounds with beautiful exotic touch and a strong and self-confident expression. The album is an utterly sincere and true work (you will hear also a cover version of Karel Kryl’s Salome) with an amazing atmosphere – the main asset of the whole album.
Bloody Ballads ( Indies Scope Records - MAM258-2)
For the new record entitled Murder Ballads, Maraca members teamed up with the Zimbova project to create a project unprecedented in Moravian world music. Two fabulously energetic vocals of Marta Vávrová and Gabriela Vermelho tell stories of unfulfilled loves, rapes, murders, kidnaps and betrayals, reaching as far back as the 16th century. The ballads are arranged under a strong influence of Maraca, as a result of which originally folk songs take Latin, jazz or rock moods and reveal hoden harmonies of Moravian and Silesian melodies. Maraca once again shaped its inspiration in a non-traditional way that will touch every sensitive listener.
Longe ( Indies Scope Records - MAM206-2)
Maraca – relatively new, although performing already for some time – group from the town of Zlín, penetrating the waters of jazzy ethno / Word music, set the most famous modern Portuguese author Fernando Pessoa into music in its already third album. It is not necessary to list the geographic places that influenced them musically because despite the record includes sounds of for us still exotic instruments such as the Arabic lute, oud or Australian brass didgeridoo, it comprises also the guitar, bass, percussion and violin. The members of the band and the guests created a world of their own where even samples have their place but primarily string, brass and percussion sounds. In case you are interested in a true originality, imaginative world blond styles and cultures, unique minimalisms of means of expression with the maximum of effect, then this very album is meant for you. A delicacy for non-orthodox “gourmets” in a highly original style!
Amit Chatterjee
is a guitarist, sitarist and vocalist who performs and records with some of the most prominent and accomplished musicians in the area of jazz and world music. He has been a permanent member of the legendary jazz artist Joe Zawinul’s groundbreaking band, The Zawinul Syndicate, from 1993-1996, and from 2000 to the present time. Besides performing and recording with Joe Zawinul, he has also performed and recorded with artists such as the great multi-instrumentalist and composer Burhan Ocal, stellar saxophonist David Liebman, pop artists Sting and Carlos Santana, Malian master Salif Keita, masters of percussion Badal Roy, Glen Velez, Trilok Gurtu and Robert Thomas Jr.,virtuoso violinist Vicki Richards as well as many other artists. He has also collaborated with symphonies from variol parts of the world, as well as record and perform with electronic musicians like Jean-Pierre Smadj of France, DJ Mat of New York and musicians, composers and artists from theater and other performing arts. He also continues work as a regular recording artist for films and television in the United States. Amit Chatterjee is known for his sensitive yet passionate approach in both his instrumental and vocal artistry. From his extensive background as both a guitarist and sitarist, he is able to seamlessly flow in and out of Western and Eastern approaches, and move toward a sound which is completely new, although born of both the East and West. He continues his explorations in new territories of music in his ongoing solo projects as well as further collaborations with different masters of the arts.
