The group KAL, the most exciting Roma band from the suburbs of Belgrade, will perform at SOKOJ Club on April 18, in Mišarska Street, in the heart of Vračar, Belgrade.
The band announced that this concert is not a routine, but an important step forward in a new phase. The audience will have the opportunity to hear part of the new songs from the upcoming fifth album that will be released soon for the German label CPL Music, but also a different view of what KAL was, and what it is becoming.
There comes a point in every artist's life when one's own success becomes comfort and comfort is the most dangerous kind of stagnation. It is from that moment that KAL takes a turn. The band, which has been building a recognizable sound for years, is now consciously stepping out of its own safety zone and opening a new chapter. This album is not an escape from identity but an expansion of it.
Frontman Dragan Ristić says: "The most difficult thing is not to succeed, the most difficult thing is to get out of the niche that you built yourself, in which you stayed for years and in which the audience recognizes you as a safe address", and then decisively adds: "We changed that address."
KAL remains true to its unique expression: a fusion of Romani tradition, Balkan blues and urban rock'n'roll, but now with an even bolder step into new forms and sounds. Their "Rock'n'Roma" approach, which has taken them to stages all over Europe and the USA, including Joe's Pub in New York and linking up with New York band Gogol Bordello, now takes on a new dimension.
Dragan adds about the new album:"We play with new forms, we push the boundaries, but we don't forget who we are. On the contrary, we now know it more precisely than ever. On April 18th, we will not hold a routine concert at the SOKOJ club, we will present some new songs, but also a different view of what we were and what we are becoming."
And when asked what the audience can expect, the answer is simple:"A concert is never a one-sided thing. We're either in there together or there's no point in even starting."
KAL are the most exciting Roma band from the suburbs of Belgrade - rock and roll in attitude, driven by urban rhythms and rooted in Balkan blues. With their wit, imagination and bold mixing of different sounds, they firmly stand as guardians of the Balkan Roma tradition and pioneers of 21st century fusion.
Founded in 1996 in Valjevo, KAL emerged as a strong artistic voice of the contemporary Roma community and a recognizable force on the world music scene. Their sound, often described as Rock'n'Roma or Gypsy Rockabilly,blends Roma traditional tunes with swing, jazz, blues, funk and rock 'n' roll.
The concert starts at 9 p.m., and tickets for 1,000 dinars can be purchased at the Telma bar (Mišarska 7, Belgrade). The number of tickets is limited.
