Oi Va Voi formed in London in the early 2000s, mixing klezmer and folk with electronic textures. Their self-titled debut came out in 2003, followed by 'Laughter Through Tears' the next year. Songs like 'Od Yeshoma' and 'Gypsy' show their blend of traditional Jewish melodies with contemporary production.
Sharon Kraus handles vocals and accordion, with Josh Breslaw on guitar, Stephen Davidson on bass, and Simon Richmond on drums. Their lyrics often touch on identity and heritage, while the music pulls from Eastern European folk, jazz, and electronica. They've kept releasing albums through the 2010s, including 'Travelling the Dark' and 'A Distant Storm'.
In 2005, they faced plagiarism accusations over 'Midnight Train,' which led to an out-of-court settlement. They continued putting out records like 'The Shape of My Heart' and 'Memory Drop' despite that. Their sound remains rooted in those early combinations, heard in tracks such as 'Hora' and 'A Csitári Hegyek Alatt.'
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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