The Band

Antwerp city, with its harbor, has always been a melting pot of different cultures. The Antwerp Gipsy-Ska Orkestra reflects that openness in an intriguing way; seven musicians from all over the world - each with a very diverse musical background – have teamed up to combine the pure, raw energy of authentic Roma Gipsy melodies with the ultra-danceable ska groove.

This band has it all! A charismatic front man, street credibility, incredible energy on stage, a vast variety of styles and rhythms that stretch the boundaries of what we know as ska music, striking melodies that soar with joy and dive with melancholy, improvisational skills to match a jazz combo and best of all… their own sound that is so rich and natural that one can’t help but wonder why nobody came up with this idea before.

You can see that classifying AGSO as just another ska band would be a mistake that one is not likely to make after seeing them at work.

Based solely on their live reputation they played the Melkweg (Amsterdam) with Balkan Beat Box and left the audience screaming for more. A few months later they performed at the prestigious Eurosonic festival in the ‘Stadsschouwburg’ (after the Magic Numbers) which confirmed their popularity status and has them headlining many festivals in the Netherlands and Belgium.

The debut CD which was released in June 2007, was unanimously applauded by the Belgian Press as a masterpiece, terms like all hits, no misses got the band many interviews and frequent airplay on Belgium’s Radio 1. Since the last of the band’s illegal immigrants received his permit to stay just before the release, “Tuttilegal” seemed an appropriate title.

The succes of the CD saw the band going farther and farther away from Antwerp city. The band found distribution in Germany and was stunned to have their album enter the top 10 of the German Radio College charts at number 2. In between Metallica and Oasis of all places… This was of course followed up by some extensive touring.

From then on AGSO started playing many more European countries, topped by a superb performance at the Sziget 2009 in Budapest, the biggest festival in Europe.

In December 2009 the band hit the studio accompanied by London based Michael Zimmerling, a sound engineer/producer with outstanding credentials (Simply Red, Einstürzende Neubauten, Depeche Mode, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Nina Hagen to name a few). This CD is being mixed in London and is expected to be the band’s ticket to international recognition.

The Musicians

Gregor and Mukti are old friends, they played together in Moss, a hardcore punk trio with Gregor screaming and Mukti demolishing the drum kit. At the same time Mukti played the guitar in Tachyon, at that time also a punk band (he was also in Belgian Asociality from 1998 untill 2008)… One thing led to another and Gregor became the singer of Tachyon. As this group gradually became a ska band, Kike (Argentina) was asked to join them on sax. After Tachyon split up in 2003 these three friends found each other again in AGSO.

Kosovo born Suki plays in numerous gipsy-projects.

Gregor and Kike are part of the Ambrassband, a fanfare that grew out of the Antifare.
Kike plays with Donkey Diesel and leads his own murga, the Murga Armada as well as writing music for projects on demand.
Gregor founded the Antwerp Gipsy DJ Collective (AG/DC)

Filip played bass with Le Trio Perdu. After their breakup, he formed the klezmer formation On Fidldikn Mamzer with the accordeonist. Among others Filip was an active member in the following bands Bobby’s Evil, Bacalhou (Fado), Tagsim (Arabo-Andalusisch) and Delicatessen (Free), Lais. These days you can catch him on shows of the Valerie Solanas, Andy and the Androids & Jasper Huysentruyt.

Roel Poriau is part of Think of One, he’s active as a producer of Maroccan music (amongst others) and sometimes plays with Vetex & Panic Attack.

Nathan Daems has his own jazz combo; the Nathan Daems Quintet. He can also be found performing with Foret de Moustiques, Triplettes, Fosfor, Youth Jazz Orchestra & Coem.