Dallam-Dougou:
raul's afro-hungarian jazz thang

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 (the 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.

Dallam-Dougou has performed around the New York area, from the Knitting Factory, Satalla, Tonic, and the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture to Yo-Yo Ma's New Directions Cello Association convention in 2000. 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 also committed to preserving ancient musical traditions and is working with the West African Kouyate family to help preserve a sacred 800-year-old balafon that belonged to the great emperor Sundiata.

Dallam-Dougou is:
Raul Rothblatt, composition, cello, African fiddle, bass
Abou Sylla, balafon
Tzafrir Lichtenshtein, drums
Kalman "Ocsi" Magyar, fiddle
Avram Fefer, clarinet & sax
Sylvain Leroux, flutes
Abdoulaye Dioubate, guest vocals