Music

Reviews

"Ah… Sergiu Popa's album on my CD player finally, and already twice on myEspace musique/Radio-Canada show in the course of three weeks!
Looks like it's going to become a regular this summer as I'm hosting a daily World music program coast to coast! I just can't wait 'cause this crazy Moldavian accordion virtuoso now turned Montrealer is going to score big time all over the place, and I say Hopa to that!"

Dan Behrman, host of Espace Musique,Radio-Canada.
Obsession Accordéon

The Best of Gypsy, Folk, Fusion, Jazz from a World-Class Artist
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"This new CD finally provides Popa his much-deserved breakthrough. For gurus of the gypsy/roma/balkan/folk idiom, Popa's ability to play the various styles of the different nations with equal comfort is remarkable. For fans of fusion/jazz, the gypsy music from the villages of the Balkans is brought to you in a style accessible to the western ear. While Popa is well-known throughout his home country of Moldavia and new home, Canada, as one of the leading proponents of Romanian folk music, this CD will surely open audience's ears to Popa's modern stylings and improvisational abilities. Backed up by a virtuosic crew of musicians, this CD is a must hear for a wide scope of listeners."

Kalman Magyar for Hungaria Records
Obsession Accordéon

"Accordionist Sergiu Popa is one of those hundreds of hidden treasures which we continually discover, one by one, here in Montreal. […] A genius instrumentalist, he is full of curiosity, and possesses an innate sense of improvisation.
With one foot in the village wedding and the other exploring the orient, he also provides his take on bebop and latin rhythms. We even hear the pan flute, approached with a fresh perspective. Yes, he does vandalize Brahms’ 3^rd symphony a little with the beat box, but since he asks us specifically to forgive him, we will gladly do so."

Yves Bernard, Le Devoir, Montreal.
Obsession Accordéon

"Sergiu Popa intelligently finds a path through the traditional music of eastern Europe and as well as re-interpretations he proposes his own compostions like Dor De Casa (Missing Home) that portrays in musical terms that feeling of being distant from ones homeland and ones family.
So if you decide to buy Accordeon Obsession you should know that you will be not only listening to balkan music but also given the subtitle Gypsy Fusion - you will listen to good music.
Here is a musician that deserves wider recognition."

Renato Belardinelli, Accordions.com
Obsession Accordéon

"From the Turkish finesse of Ismail Fencioglu and Didem Başar to the aerial kaval of Vassil Markov, to the weightless violin of Carmen Piculeata, to the funky bass of Patrice Agbokou, the world drums of Bertil Shulrabe, to the more romantic violin of Jessica Gal, to the spiritual song of Sephardic cantor David Lasry.
Even SoCalled ends up shuffling all the cards."

Yves Bernard, Le Devoir, Montreal.
Tous en Accord

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Taraf Syriana

Taraf Syriana Ensemble was founded in Canada, with the collaboration of Dan Rosenberg.
Taraf Syriana is led by Sergiu Popa and amazing cello player Noémy Braun.
The Ensemble began with a mission to celebrate the diversity of Syrian Romani and popular music. While Roma music is celebrated around the world, including India, Russia, Romania and Spain,Romani culture from Syria is less commonly heard outside of region…

"Taraf" is the Romani word for musical group. Taraf Syriana is dedicated to the exploration of folk music from Greater Syria (Near and MiddleEast). The ensemble represents the region’s diversity, as Syria is home to large minorities of Kurds,Armenians, Greeks, Persians and Roma.

This journey is also inspired by the melodies, harmonies and rhythms of North Africa, Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

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Tous en Accord

Welcome to my second album, a project I have been wanting to do for several years but could never find the time. I decided it was time to invite some of these artists, many of them hidden gems, to be part of this album.

If you’re looking for something all these tracks have in common, I would say "Me and my accordion!"
My idea was to find a piece that each guest would feel comfortable playing (and naturally, that I also found really groovy), and then add my own touch.

While it may seem to you like a strange mix, from traditional, to trance, to dance, to meditation... in fact, it’s a true reflection of my life in this place, full of diversity.
And I have to say, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I hope you enjoy it!

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Accordion DVD

This training DVD is important for me, because I love teaching, sharing and I think we need more information and research from the Balkan and Eastern European communities.

These courses will expand your knowledge of folk music and expose you to styles and techniques that you have never encountered.
I focus on both melody and accompaniment. I like often to imitate other instruments in my playing, cello, clarinet, cimbalom and cobza...

In this DVD I will cover 5 different Eastern European and Balkan folk styles. Serbian,Bulgarian, Moldavian, Romanian, and Jewish (Klezmer) music. In each of the 5 chapters, I teach a different specially curated song, along with quality sheet music written by me. I demonstrate each song, break down the melody, show some harmony and advises on accompaniment. As a student, if there are specific songs, styles or techniques that you want to learn, don't hesitate to reach out !

Extract

Obession

This is my first album and was my dream since I have arrived in Montreal, in 2002.
I was surrounded by amazing artists from different communities and I felt like "a kid in a chocolate store"...

Montreal, is a very vibrant city... as I like to call it the "International Cultural Hub of A Thousand and One Cultures".
In the beginning of my first years in Canada, I was playing quite a lot in one of the famous Balkan party place: Cafe Sarajevo.

Accordion-Obsession has many influences of musicians I have encountered in my first years arriving to North America.
The album is surrounded by themes from eastern European to latin styles, from classical to Balkan with a small detour to modern hip-hop.
I’ve got inspired from Romanian Rroma (gypsy) styles to Serbian, Armenian, Bulgarian and I could’t avoid the middle eastern styles which were played quite a lot in Montreal.

Enjoy it and get transported into a musical tour around the world.

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