Wednesday, January 21, 2004

WILMINGTON, NC—Les Yeux Noirs, contemporary interpreters of traditional klezmer and Gypsy music, will perform 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11 at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington’s Kenan Auditorium. The French string octet mixes into their music Gypsy, Jewish and French cultures as well as the influences of Russian, Armenian and Hungarian traditions. This is the fifth performance of UNCW’s eight-part Arts in Action series and a featured event during UNCW’s Intercultural Week.

Les Yeux Noirs, French for “The Black Eyes,” takes its name from the title of a Russian Gypsy tune made famous by Django Reinhardt in the 1930s. Brothers Eric and Olivier Slabiak, both classically trained in violin at the Brussels Conservatory, constitute the dorsal fin of Les Yeux Noirs. They are backed by cello, acoustic guitar, electric bass, double bass, vocals, cymbalum, accordion and drums. With a minimum of idle words, the energy and humor of the entire group clearly conveys the fun they have been having since their inception ten years ago.

With themes from Romania, Serbia, Hungary, Russia and Armenia, jazz influences, and with a healthy dash of Yiddish and Slavic folklore, the excellent arrangements leave plenty of room for rhythm and spontaneity, while highlighting the musical complexity of the melodies.

The songs are sung in Russian, Yiddish and Roma. Many start off somewhat slowly with a few melancholic notes on the violin and accordion. But soon the tempo increases like a snowball going downhill, and the tension is released through their alchemistic arrangements and compositions, always remaining true to their central European roots.

As Don Heckman of the Los Angeles Times said of a recent performance, “Led by a pair of virtuosi, violin-playing brothers, Eric and Olivier Slabiak, the group’s presentation lured the audience into all-join-in musical participation, a colorful coda to an immensely entertaining weekend.”

UNCW’s 11th annual Intercultural Week, of which Les Yeux Noirs’ performance is a part, will be held Monday through Saturday, Feb. 9-14, and will feature lectures, films, dancing, music, performances and food. These events will celebrate the rich diversity of cultures found within the UNCW and Wilmington communities. For more information about Intercultural Week, call 910/962-7009.



BOX OFFICE AND TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets are $6 for UNCW students and children 12 and under; $12 for UNCW faculty/staff and seniors; and $18 for all others. For tickets, call the Kenan Auditorium Box Office at 910/962-3500 or 800/732-3643 outside of the Wilmington area. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. For additional information, please visit www.uncw.edu/arts.

OTHER SERIES PERFORMERS

(All performances are at 8:00 p.m. in Kenan Auditorium.)

Bruce Wood Dance Company March 26

Sam Bush (co-presented with Thalian Hall) April 17

ABOUT UNCW ARTS IN ACTION PERFORMANCE SERIES

Sponsored by the Campus Activities and Involvement Center at UNC Wilmington, the Arts in Action Performance Series seeks to culturally enrich, educate and entertain both students and the general public through the presentation of diverse programs featuring professional, high-quality performing artists. Each series features an eclectic combination of jazz, world music, modern dance, theater and chamber music. For more information, please visit the Arts in Action web site at www.uncw.edu/arts. UNCW Arts in Action is a member of the NC Presenters Consortium and the US National Association of Performing Arts Presenters. The 150 member venues of the NC Presenters Consortium may be visited at www.presenters.org.

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Media Contact: Shannon Hooker, 910/962.7600 or Hookers@uncw.edu.