The Catalonian band Cheb Balowski are performing this Friday at the Melkweg. I saw these guys last night in Utrecht, this is a must-see gig.

They’re difficult to describe stylistically. Singing in Spanish, Catalan, English and (I think) Arabic, there’s definitely a mix of influences! The dominant impression is energy, it’s simply impossible not to dance. I’m not the only one having difficulties describing them: “reggaeton, urban latino & rock mestizo” doesn’t say much to me, but neither does this review:

It’s not a Raï-band, neither a rock-band, neither a copy of the Mano Negra, it’s not resembling Sergent Garcia, but they have a little of it all! I had heard the CD before I went, and it was very good. Interesting mix of styles, top-class musicianship, generally excellent world music. (You can hear it at Propaganda pel Fet.) But this is actually subtly deceptive. Their live sound is not wholly different, but it doesn’t completely make sense to compare the two. The live experience is really something else.

They took a Dutch audience, somewhat reminiscent of the salted herring they like to eat (stiff, cold-eyed and absolutely not at home on the dance floor) and got them first dancing, then shouting, then shouting in Catalan, then at the very end sitting on the floor. This last was by way of cooling down, after four encores (and not “we’re leaving oh look we’re coming back” encores, more “we’d better come back or they’ll stand there all night applauding” encores) made it obvious that the crowd would quite happily go on all night.

One thing carried it off: energy. It sounds cheesy, but joyful and happy energy is what it was. There’s professional energy, that a good band pours into an audience until they get warmed up and start giving it back. But there’s also pure joy in making exhuberant music, and that’s what was coming off this band in great waves. They smiled all the time, not the way you’re supposed to smile on stage, but at each other, sudden grins of delight and amusement. It’s not often you see musicians laughing at each other on the stage.

So I’m going to buy their latest CD, but it will only be excellent and interesting music. And I’m going to the Melkweg tomorrow night, for something that doesn’t fit on a CD. I suggest you cancel your plans and come along.

Gig details: 11pm, Melkweg, entry 10 euro/7 with a month-membership/free for year members. There is a band from Haïti at 9pm in the other hall that also sounds excellent, unfortunately they cost 25 euro.