AUDIENCE REVIEWS OF VARDOS PERFORMANCES "If I were dead I would get up and dance because of the music""I'm 86 and it's the best thing I've ever seen!" "It was good, to put it mildly" "Inspirational" "Gypsy music from the balkans kicks western music a***" "IT WAS SICK" "Check out the chops on those chicks!" "With stagecraft that is equal parts formation dancing, martial arts and Keystone Cops, the violin-accordion-double bass trio play with formidable panache, spinning the tunes into a dizzying procession of crescendos and false stops. ...Vardos don´t hold back. They give the tumbling, compound-time dances and slow airs- so sad they can´t bring themselves to sing the words- both barrels and not a few of Hunt´s bow hairs." **** Rob Adams, The Herald, Edinburgh 11/08 2004 "the highlight of the festival so far for me" Carolyn Becket, BBC Radio Scotland 2004 "Outstanding..... a great favourite"- Four Winds Festival 2002 "Your enthusiasm and energy were infectious"- Maroondah Singers 2002 "The group played up to the theatrical promise of the music. They pranced around, adding animation to the musical tales of wedding joy and sadness, singing and shouting when the occasion demanded...The violinist's aggressive approach to her instrument was more Jimi Hendrix than Yehudi Menuhin. For drinking songs she took inebriated swipes at her bow ...the seductive effect made conventional classical playing seem wooden....Vardos know their music so intimately that sudden changes in pace and atmosphere happened smoothly and flawlessly." Simon Kidd, Melbourne Times 18/4/01 "Their intrinsic musicality and faithfulness to the ethnic traditions of the music they perform is laudable. When so many so-called folk groups give only a vague impression of the cultures they represent it is refreshing to have such music played with authenticity"- Port Fairy Spring Music Festival 2000 "Les trois musiciennes du groupe australien Vardos ont plongé la place de la Marne dans une ambiance très gypsy, hier midi. Les trois belles dames ont effet donné un concert quelque peu théâtralisé. ...le visage expressif des musiciennes accompagne les sérénades légères et cadencées...les jeunes femmes expriment avec intensité leur musique. La musique gypsy ravit la foule... Vardos est une bonne surprise." Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes, Jeudi 29 Aout 2002 OF THEIR CD's "It makes us dance!" "Now I get the cleaning done in half the time!" "Alana Hunt’s soaring violin, Indra Buraczewska’s slapped double bass and Sofia Chapman’s supple accordion combine on a collection of 17 Hungarian and Romanian tunes and songs that show us that their frequent visits to Eastern Europe have made them a truly exciting band." 9 May 2006, Lucky Oceans, The Planet "Melbourne girl Kylie Minogue might take succour from I should be so lucky, performed in Hungarian Gypsy style by Vardos, with Alana Hunt on a truly demented violin." ****1/2 , Ian Cuthbertson, Weekend Australian May 28 2005, of Vardos' contribution to the Aria-award nominated compilation CD "This is the Place for a Song" "a ...traditional and acoustic sound, with the wild fiddle of Alana Hunt.. The virtuosity is just faultless, making it a joy to listen to. They bounce through Romanian, Moldavian and Hungarian tunes with joy and ease. And all recorded in Melbourne!" Geoff Burton, fROOTS magazine, UK, December 2003 "Speed folk, particularly of the more Eurasian persuasion, is soooo rock. No kidding." Tim Spelman, Australian Music Online/Mono.net, 14 Oct 2002 "Authentic and dextrously played"- David Hughes, Hobart Cultural magazine 2002 " With the release of this their second CD in 2002 Vardos make a strong claim, to being one of the most authentic and entertaining Balkan acts in Australia.... The instrumental virtuosity showcased on this release in considerable.... this album conveys the sheer excitement, the edge of craziness, and the depth of emotions that music from this troubled corner of the world conveys at its best. ...the exuberant intensity of Romanian dance music comes across in no uncertain terms on this excellent CD" Malcolm Fielding, www.indie-cds.com July 02 "Heavily ornamented violin lines unravel over a maelstrom of frantic accordion and bass work" Herald Sun 9/4/00 | |
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References Here is a collection of letters in support of Vardos, click an image to enlarge
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