Moodafaruka
Houston, Texas, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
PRESS
Best Original Band Choice Awards Houston Chronicle 2005
Nominated best World Music Group Houston Press 2005
Finalist 2004 Independent Music Awards
Voted best band by H Texas Magazine 2003
"Each track [of Zazu] tends to evoke an emotion or physical setting, like a travel video for the mind. Spanish Caravan opens the record, unfolding slowly as it takes the listener through a gentle countryside dappled with sunlight. Drink with Umbrella and Luna Amor favor a more dramatic, dancing atmosphere (a bullfight? a fiesta?) with Mary Ann Willis's scale-romping gypsy violin adding much to both. Fiesta del Viento and Ella de la Luz, two of the best tracks, maintain festive feelings that build with each chorus. And finally, on the title track, Arlandus Chimney's solid bass intro breaks out into a touch of light all-American funk.
Houston Press
"In a fine collaboration of musical cultures and styles, Moodafaruka's second release deserves stellar attention in the world music spotlight. Blending flamenco, Indian, Moroccan, Latin, and Western sounds in a tapestry all their own, Moodafaruka captures the essence of world fusion. An eminently tasteful - and danceable! - mix."
NAPRA Review
"Featuring melodies that are exotic and enchanting, the 11 songs on Zazu showcase Ryan's splendid guitar mastery of flamenco and other musical world styles. All this is made all the more impressive by the constant, pulsing rhythms supplied by Karn. In listening to their recordings (and seeing them perform live), it is obvious that they were meant to play together, as the fusion of string and drum blends together into one perfect, harmonious whole."
Body Mind & Soul
"A very fine CD filled with jazz mystique and otherworld promise. Suppose world
music and jazz had a kid, this might be that child at age 44 minutes long. Instrumentals
and a few non-English vocal tracks make this a CD to buy."
The Muse's Muse
"Moodafaruka's music takes a bypass right past your conscious mind and continues on
straight until it reaches your subconscious awareness. Once there, it goes to work
massaging and releasing any tension thereby allowing you to enter a world of semi-
conscious mind wanderings and contemplation."
181.4 DftN!
"Acoustic guitar wizard Rom Ryan and percussionist Terrence Karn carry the listener
around the globe--into the center of teeming cities, across hazy deserts, through steamy jungles
and towering mountain ranges. Ryan's guitar work is often literally entrancing, as on the
churning Psychedelic Texas, and he turns in some spellbinding flute work to boot,
while Karn, who doubles on vocals, proves himself to be a versatile polyrhythmist."
SPLENDID E-ZINE
- Various
"If you are looking for music that's influenced by styles from other cultures
than western rock, Moodafaruka is certainly a good place to start."
HEARD MAGAZINE
Press
"La Luna Lounge provides an escape from the typical sounds
we are constantly bombarded with by promotional music media. It's admirable
to see two Americans create a mixture of styles based on Mediterranean chants,
hypnotic percussion and Spanish guitar with a twist of New Age."
URBAN BEAT
"Rom Ryan and Terrence Karn play music that takes you on an aural
vacation to practically every corner of the globe."
PAPERCITY
"What a great album! La Luna Lounge is something of a musical travelogue
of chanting rhythms from around the world."
GAJOOB
"The art of solo guitar has provided many with tremendous pleasure.
Recently I discovered my latest guitar indulgence, Rom Ryan. While Ryan is adept
within many styles, his mix of pure gentleness and dazzling intricacy on the
classically-inspired compositions runs through the core of his release Mysteria."
WHITE SWAN MUSIC
"Rom Ryan plays Rockefeller's on January 25. He's followed by Strunz and Farah
the next night and Leo Kottke the night after. It's fitting the three acts follow each other
because all are acoustic guitarists who are genre-jumpers."
PUBLIC NEWS
"Rom Ryan deserves a spot next to guitar great William Ackerman."
WHITE SWAN PRESS
"Cielo Vago evokes images of a stroll under dark desert skies,
the wind rolling past in waves. Overall Mysteria is hard to resist for those who love
technical perfection and sonic beauty on the acoustic guitar."
PUBLIC NEWS
"Suffice it to say the audience was held captive by his music. The rest of the program proved equally dazzling.
What has been described here might give an idea of the power of his live performance."
BODY, MIND & SOUL NEWSLETTER
"Ryan combines an easy mastery with a relaxed virtuosity on Another World."
PUBLIC NEWS
"Rom's fresh sound draws on music from around the world...very enjoyable."
WHITE SWAN PRESS
- Various
Discography
La Luna Lounge
Zazu
Blame it on the Moon
Who R U
Odds and Ends
Photos
Bio
Welcome to the World of Moodafaruka!
Moodafaruka - Mood of The Dance A “faruka” (farruca) is a flamenco style of dance. We’ve combined it with the word mood, to create a new word that means mood of the dance. (We hope one day Webster’s will agree with us).
Moodafaruka was founded in 1999 by Rom Ryan. Since it’s inception it has been a musical playground for experimentation and invention. Through the blending of music inspired by different cultures into unique compositions, we try to create music that is both familiar and new.
We often are asked “What do you call this music”? A question that even for us is difficult to answer.
We now offer the following response to such a query:
Nuevoflamencoworldfusionglobalgroovengypsysurfmusic, but for expediency we often refer to it simply as “World Fusion”.
In 1999 Moodafaruka recorded their first CD - “La Luna Lounge.”
Rom Ryan and Percussionist Terrence Karn were the only members of Moodafaruka at that time. Terrence has since moved on to teach and perform throughout the United States.
The CD received rave reviews and excellent radio play around the globe and has sold thousands of copies!
Since then driven by Rom Ryan’s composition, and the talents of some of Houston’s finest musicians we have released 2 more cds. “Zazu” in 2002 and in 2004 “Blame it on the Moon”.
We currently have a compilation released on MegaWave Records entitled “Essential Moodafaruka” as of June 6th, 2008 it was number 2 on the Jazz/World Music Charts receiving airplay throughout the country.
We are also releasde Who R U in the fall of 2008.
Moodafaruka is a collective of musicians, but has at its core the talents of world renowned teaching violinist Mary Ann Willis she now has 6 books published on gypsy/ world violin.
Virtuoso Bassist and vocalist Arlandus Chimney plays as beautifully as he sings.
Percussionist Adam Carman adds the perfect touch on both congas and dombek.
Vocalist/ Flutist / Dancer Alesha Herrera leaves us asking what she can’t do. She sings in English, Spanish, and Arabic and brings a wonderful energy to any place she performs.
You may also see with us on occasion, Ilya Janos on drums, Erin Foster on Kanoon and Dombek, Dexter Ragananan on Tabla, Richard Saldivar on keyboards / Trumpet, all excellent musicians, and we include them whenever we can.
At the heart of Moodafaruka is it’s founder Rom Ryan as composer, promoter, producer, engineer, booking agent, and head roady, he has kept Moodafaruka moving forward, and turned a dream into a tangible living musical enterprise.
Best Original Music Group *
Choice Awards Houston Chronicle 2005
Finalist *
National Independent Music Awards 2004
Best band *
H Texas magazine 2003
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