Dallam-Dougou:
Raul's Afro-Hungarian Jazz

Welcome to the world of Dallam-Dougou, a band of seven musicians which combines the sweet melodies of West Africa with driving Hungarian Gypsy rhythms to create a lush and lyrical musical experience.

The feel of the group is intimate yet playful. Shocking flute riffs jump over ornate violin melodies, while the balafon (an African ancestor of the xylophone) dukes it out with the clarinet, all over a bed of cello and percussion, with heartfelt African vocals.

"Dallam means melodic in Hungarian, Dougou means land in several West African languages," explains bandleader Raul Rothblatt, "so Dallam-Dougou represents my own musical Utopia."

The group started almost as a novelty in 1998, but it persevered because the group discovered something beautiful. Dallam-Dougou has a wonderful, nearly impossible goal: to create music that is moving-emotionally and motionally.

The music summons the traditions of West African griots (musical storytellers) and the crazed Hungarian csardas dances, and the sounds and movement can be appreciated by anyone with two ears and a booty.

Dallam-Dougou is:
Raul Rothblatt – composition, cello, African fiddle, bass
Sylvain Leroux – flutes
Famoro Dioubate – balafon
Andy Algire – drums
Skye Steele – fiddle
Avram Fefer – clarinet & sax
Tim Abdellah Fuson – guinbri, qarqaba, bendir and ta'rija

Missia Saran Dioubate – guest vocals