Kroke (POL)
Klezmer
Saturday 21st April / Doors at 21:00 / Tickets at the door: 90 kr. (70 kr. for students)
Presale has ended - tickets sold at the entrance
Kroke began by playing klezmer music, which is deeply set in Jewish tradition, and adding a strong influence of Balkan music. Currently, they draw inspiration from a variety of ethnic music from around the world, combining it with elements of jazz and improvisation, creating their own distinctive style
Kroke (which means Kraków in Yiddish) was formed in 1992 by three friends and graduates of the Kraków Academy of Music: Jerzy Bawoł (accordion), Tomasz Kukurba (viola) and Tomasz Lato (double bass). Initially, Kroke performed only in clubs and galleries situated in Kazimierz, a former Jewish district of Kraków. While performing at the Ariel gallery, they came to the attention of Steven Spielberg, who was shooting Schindler's List in Kraków at the time. Spielberg invited them to Jerusalem, where he was shooting the final scenes. The group performed a concert at the Survivors' Reunion for those of Oskar Schindler's list who made it through the war.
Spielberg also sent a copy of the group's cassette to Peter Gabriel, who in 1997 invited KROKE to the WOMAD Festival, where the audience gave a rousing welcome both to the group and its debut album - “Trio” (Oriente Musik; 1996). Cooperation with Peter Gabriel resulted in joint recording sessions at Real World Studio - parts of these recordings were later used on by Peter Gabriel on his album “Long Walk Home”, the soundtrack to Phillip Noyce's film "Rabbit-Proof Fence".
In nearly twenty years together, Kroke has performed at many prestigious festivals, as well as released 14 albums (including numerous live-recordings). Kroke has also recorded albums with the English violinist Nigel Kennedy and the Polish singer Edyta Geppert. In 2006, KROKE's song “The Secret of the Life Tree” appeared on the soundtrack to David Lynch's film “Inland Empire”.
