ABOUT
Fast gaining a reputation as one of UK’s most dynamic and virtuosic bands, Opa Rosa are an energetic acoustic ensemble sharing music from the Balkan, Greek, Klezmer & Roma traditions. With several combined decades of study and experience, all five musicians are well-versed in the musical traditions’ syntax and significance, capturing all the joy and sorrow that these traditions are so renowned for expressing.
Deeply rooted in Balkan traditions, Opa Rosa’s music aims to explore and reinvent the motifs of Eastern Europe by subtly drawing from other musical influences such as Post-Rock, Classical and Jazz. With their lineup of violin, clarinet, accordion, double bass and percussion, their unique and refined sound consists of an explosive and grooving rhythm section combined with intricate melodies soaring over rich and nuanced harmonic structures.
Currently hot off the tails of their New Album 'Havasi Klub', they have toured internationally and captivated audiences with their high-energy and engaging performances. They have sold-out performances headlining Bristol Beacon, Green Note (London), Trinity Centre (Bristol), The Cornish Bank (Falmouth), Jamboree (London) and various festivals, including headlining festivals such as Fire in the Mountain, Smuggler’s Festival, Secret Garden Party, Valley Fest and Buddhafield.
Enjoy a collection of vibrant and soulful melodies played with fiery precision, and let Opa Rosa take you on a foot-stomping journey through the Balkans and beyond!
Lulu Austin - Violin
Lulu has travelled widely across the Balkans, learning Eastern music first hand from masters of the traditions. She has studied many different styles of world music, including Turkish music in Crete with Giorgos Papaioannou, Bulgarian music with Atanas Slavov at The Plovdiv Academy of Music and Dance in Bulgaria, Middle Eastern music with Maren Lueg in Turkey, and Klezmer music with Arianne Cohen-adad in Belgium. Lulu plays Turkish and Middle eastern music with music and bellydance project Chalguh Chengi, and loves to travel, teach and perform. Her greatest passion is to share Balkan, Middle eastern and folk music from around the world.
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Available to teach all levels and ages, classical and world music:
https://www.lulurubyrose.com
luluaustin@hotmail.co.uk
Thomas Hodson - Accordion
Thomas is an experienced multi-instrumentalist who has been studying and pursuing music since 2005. In that time has studied composition at The University of Western Sydney (now WSU) and has taken to the stage around Australia, Europe, New Zealand and The United States. With a passion for all music, love to play all genres of music including Eastern European folk, jazz, swing, world music and rock/metal. Thomas is an active piano, accordion and guitar teacher in Bristol, sharing his love of music to all ages. Additionally has composed music for screen and stage for several exciting projects
www.thomashodsonmusic.com
Isis Wolf-Light - Clarinet
Isis is a multi-instrumentalist with a first class degree in Ethnomusicology from SOAS, London and has studied many different styles of traditional music ranging from Eastern European folk, Ethiopian Jazz to Indonesian Gamelan. As a clarinetist, she specialises in Klezmer and Balkan folk styles, having studied with Klezmer maestros Merlin Shepherd and Susi Evans.
Isis also teaches Balinese Gamelan workshops in Bristol and teaches clarinet privately: iwolflight@gmail.com
Izy Ellis - Double Bass
Bristol's best kept secret....
Ricardo de Noronha - Percussion
Ricardo de Noronha is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist, that plays Middle-Eastern percussion and makes his own ethnic flutes based on the Slovakian shepherd’s flute, the Fujara.
Since the 90's he recorded several world music albums with award winning bands such as "Mandrágora", "Capagrilos" among others.
Since relocating to the UK in 2014, he co-produced and recorded "Veer" with acclaimed UK Nychelharpa player Griselda Sanderson. The album was selected by Transglobal World Music charts as one of 2017’s top world music albums.
He also founded Meridianum Ensemble in 2018 - a trans-cultural musical collaboration bringing together elements from Portugal, the UK and Morocco.
Ricardo also plays percussion in medieval music band called Woodwose with master Hurdy-gurdy player Steve Tyler, with Soufian Saihi, master Oud player, he plays in a duet of traditional and original North African music and more recently In Opa Rosa, a Balkan / Klezmer band, and other soulful projects.