"SZAPORA"
Szapora has been at the forefront of Balkan music making in the UK for the last six years. This fabulous octet has become legendary for brilliant and mesmerising performances of music from all over middle and Eastern Europe.
Dave Kelbie
Dave Kelbie has acquired an international reputation as a promoter of Gypsy music and culture which has led to acclaimed music partnerships with many of Europe’s leading Gypsy musicians. The groundbreaking UK-based, multi-national Balkan music cooperative Szapora is perhaps his best known project but he first gained recognition for his work with the celebrated Dutch Gypsy guitarist Fapy Lafertin. Through his alliance with Lafertin have come performances with musicians such as Hungarian violinist Roby Lakatos, Bireli Lagrene and Belgium’s multi-instrumentalist Koen De Cauter. Continuing projects include tours and a new recording with Parisian Gypsy guitarist Angelo Debarre, an ongoing partnership with the legendary guitarist John Etheridge and a new project, with Gypsy guitarist from Holland, Lollo Meier.
Tea Hodzic.
Born in Sarajevo. Aged 11 she won first prize in the National Competition for Classical Guitar in Zagreb. Worked as resident composer for National Theatre in Sarajevo. Collaborations with leading rock and folk musicians such as Goran Bregovic led to Europe wide touring singing with her sister Mirella. Tea has appeared with Mirella on Radio3 "World on Your Street" with Liza Carthy and in 2002 performed at the WOMAD festival in Reading with Vanja Krawczyk and Dylan Fowler.
She also appeared as a guest on the Sony Awards nominated 'The Late Junction," hosted by Fiona Talkington.
“Her voice haunted me for the rest of the day...." Clive Davis, The Times
Mirella Hodzic.
She's been in a popular singing partnership with her sister Tea since the age of 12 making regular appearances on National TV and Radio and collaborating and touring with the likes of Goran Bregovic and Gypsy band ‘Sare Roma’. In1987 she appeared as one of the critical highlights at the prestigious Yu-Fest, the international performing arts festival in Former Yugoslavia. Recently she’s performed at the 50th anniversary Gala Concert of the United Nation High Commission for Refugees in Geneva, alongside artists such as Youssou N'Dour, Arja Sainonmaa and Geoffrey Oryema. With Tea she sang on the soundtrack for Channel 4's award winning series, "Bloody Bosnia".
Paul Moylan
Paul played with Dave Swarbrick and Simon Nicol from Fairport Convention at the age of thirteen. Studied at the Royal Academy and after playing in all the big orchestras, moved direction to jazz and roots music.
Paul has conducted Stravinsky's Ebony Comcerto with the Royal Academy Big Band Stravinsky's Octet with the London Parnassus Ensemble as well as
recording three cds with the Michael Garrick big band and one with the Pasadena Roof Orchestra. He’s just released his first CD with guitarist Dominic Ashworth.
Oli Wilson-Dickson.
Oli has been studying the violin since the age of six. Born into a family of musicians, he was raised on a diet of traditional, world, jazz and contemporary music and studied music at the University of York. He has recorded for HTV, S4C, Theatre Clwyd and BBC Radio Wales as well as doing album session work on labels such as Warner and Beggar's Banquet. He has also worked extensively in the theatre world; including playing on stage with the RSC and taking major actor musician roles for the Sherman Theatre and Theatre Iolo. Oliver is violinist with the Newfolk and Fidaddle, who tour the UK through Live Music Now, and have supported artists as diverse as Jools Holand, Jamie Cullem and Jose Carreras.
Luke Carver
Accordionist Luke Carver Goss has performed with Szapora since 1998. He also works with violinist Oli Wilson-Dickson in the duo ‘Fidaddle’, who are currently playing at folk festivals around Britain.
Another project of his is the ‘Carver Trio’, with guitarist Dylan Fowler and bass player Nathan Thomson. Performing original music, they featured on BBC Radio 3’s ‘Late Junction’ programme.
Luke also works in theatre, and this year played for the innovative company ‘Wilson and Wilson’ at the Royal Exchange in Manchester.
As a composer, Luke has had several works performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and has had his music broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
Dylan Fowler
Dylan Fowler is one of the finest guitar players in Wales. He has toured internationally as a solo performer and has also collaborated with some of Britain’s finest jazz musicians including Danny Thompson, Bosco Dolivera and Winston Clifford.
“hauntingly beautiful and vividly picturesque” Taplas
“At times he produces a wonderful meditative, impressionist mood. With filigree acoustic finger-picking he produces cleanly played melodies that go beyond the known folk genre” Gitarre und Bass
Mirza Halilovic
Born in Sarajevo, Mirza Halilovic studied at The Academie of Theatre, Film & TV in the Bosnian capital. He had 10 years experience touring with different gypsy bands in Sarajevo and Bosnia before moving to France in 1995 to continue with his acting career.
1994 he wrote the score for the play ‘Alcacestis’ and in 1997 composed music with Dan Gariban of Parisian gypsy band Bratsch for Shakespeare’s ‘Loves labours lost’ directed by Simon Abkarian.
1994 he played in ‘Waiting for Godot’ with Vanessa Redgrave & Susan Sontag
1997 Production in Nancy of ‘History of the soldier’, by Ramuz. Music by Stravinsky
2000. Peter Brook’s adaptation of ‘La tragedie de Carmen’ at ‘Opera Bordeaux’. Directed by Lawrence Dale
