Classical Gypsy singer Vasily Yankovich was named the best Roma (Gypsy) singer in the United States recently. Known expert in Russian Gypsy music Vasily Romani hails from the Moscow Gypsy Theater Romen and is now based in New York City.
He has toured extensively nationally and internationally and recently led his group, Vasily Romani Gypsy Band, in a concert at Carnegie Hall.
Vasily plays professionally seven-string Gypsy Guitar. He performs as a guest singer with based in Boston Russian Gypsy traditional music and dance show VIA ROMEN, or with his own band Vasily Romani Gypsy Band and solo.
Vasily Yankovich (Romani) sings classical Gypsy songs and romances, he also has a big repertoire of Russian, Ukrainian, Italian and international popular songs.
If you want ethnic music at your wedding, Vasily Romani of the Vasily Romani Gypsy Band suggests first finding out who the band members are, what part of the country they are from, and the type of music they play. “We play Russian gypsy music,” he says proudly.
Recently they played for a wedding at the American Museum of Natural History. "The Guggenheim Museum gave them my phone number, because when Russian President Putin was here in 2000 we played at the Guggenheim, and in 2002 when there was an exhibition of women artists, both the Russian government and Russian Embassy were involved, so again we played."
Video from concert in Great Falls Performing Arts Center, Paterson, NJ, April 2009
Vasily came here in 1991 from Russia. “I came for the freedoms of America. I used to work in a famous gypsy theater in Moscow,” he says. “It was the Romana Theatre, where I played guitar and sang. It was a big group, with 75 musicians and dancers.”
Vasily started his New York-based band in 1995, when the Moscow cabaret was here. “In our band we have balalaika, guitar, accordion, a show group of four to five dancers, a violin, and sometimes the Hungarian instrument called a cymbol, which is like strings.”
They’ve performed for several plays at La Mama Theatre. “One show was ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ and the other was ‘The Defense of Prague.’ Now they’re going to make a movie, and we have been invited to play for that too.”
They’ve played Russian weddings in Brooklyn International Cabaret, and in The Russian Samovar, where they also play often for celebrations and holidays and for parties with high profile guests like Oscar De La Renta and Barbara Walters. They’ve also performed on “The Late Late Show” with Conan O’Brien.
“Gypsy music is special,” says Vasily. “In the 19th century gypsys were popular and famous for their beautiful, bright costumes. In Russia, people invite gypsys to weddings because they bring luck and good fortune.
“When I perform at the opening of a play or a new business, their business goes very well. We definitely bring luck to people. The American who sponsored me when I came here opened his own travel business, and we played for him at his opening party,” says Vasily. “He told us we brought him a lot of luck".
“We are so happy to be able to give people our energy, our talent, the beauty of our musical arts, and the gypsy rhythm. This is my job, to make people happy.”
Around the world, Russian Gypsy musicians and dancers bring a lavish profusion of passion, romance and festivity to wedding celebrations. Lords and Ladies, Kings and Queens would not think of a wedding without gypsy musicians.
For more than a thousand years, when nobility celebrates a marriage, they call for gypsy musicians whose long tradition of passionate and enticing music is believed to bring good luck to the wedding couple and great joy to the family and guests.
Whether you plan a grand celebration or an intimate time of reception,
Gypsy singer Vasily Yankovich promises an occasion of mirthful delight and pleasing merriment
for you and all your guests. A rich tradition of the music,
dance and culture of the gypsies is an absolutely incredible
experience of passion, romance and festivity.
Russian Gypsy flyers, free MP3 download of Russian Gypsy music, concert announcements, Gypsy dance photos, Russian 7-string guitar concert programs, articles about Gypsy guitar from Russian newspapers on Google groups Russian Gypsy (Roma) music and dance. You may need to become a member to be able to view archives.
Tsygane - Russian Gypsy Roma dance, music, song ensemble New York City. Six musicians, eight dancers and four singers. The group offers extended program of Russian Roma dances, songs, music and dance. Show is available for hire locally or internationally as one powerful ensemble or in smaller groups.
VIA ROMEN - traditional music and dance ensemble. Artistic Director Vadim Kolpakov
Vasily Romani Gypsy Band - music and dance show
from New York City, New York. Artistic director Vasily Yankovich
Timofeyev and Kolpakov - 7-string guitar duo specializes in the traditional music, songs and dances of the Russian and Roma (Gypsy) tradition. They perform ancient Gypsy melodies, heartfelt lyrical romansy, accompanied by the Russian Gypsy 7-string guitar.
New York Gypsy Trio: guitar, violin, singer/dancer. Trio is available for hire in New York City, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, The Bronx, New Jersey, NY, CT and PA.
ЦЫГАНСКИЙ ТАБОР - танцевальное и музыкальное шоу из Нью-Йорка. Концертные площадки, свадьбы, корпоративные и частные мероприятия и любые торжества в Нью-Йорке, Нью-Джерзи, Коннектикуте и других штатах. Музыканты играют на цыганских гитарах, контрабасе, скрипках и аккордеоне. Певческая группа (хор) состоит из одного или нескольких певцов. В танцевальном шоу занято до восьми (или больше) танцоров. Общее количество артистов - до двадцати пяти человек.
Yakov Yavno - acclaimed Russian Jewish singer and actor from New York City.
Piques Dames is a trio based in the New York metropolitan area. Their repertoire includes a variety of Slavic and European Classical and Folk vocal music as well as compositions from operatic and sacred classics.
Singer, keyboard player, MC Yury Mitchenko is available in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.
Classical Russian Gypsy singer Vasily Yankovich was named the best Tsygansky (Russian Roma Gypsy) singer in the United States. Available in New York, New Jersey, CT, PA, and internationally.
Gypsy Roma singer and dancer, 7-string guitar virtuoso Vadim Kolpakov
Classical singer Vladimir Loginov from New York City performs Bass solo parts in operas, Russian, Ukrainian, Gypsy and international repertoire. Vladimir helds a Master's degree from Moscow State Conservatory named after P. Tchaikovsky (Vocal Department).
Russian singer, Bass-baritone Alexander Prokhorov from Boston, Massachusetts was born in Russia. Now he lives in Boston, where he is engaged as one of the performing artists with Boston University's Opera Institute. Alexander has been described as a "true deep bass with tones, that immediately astonished with their midnight-dark, chasm depth of richness and powerful timber..."
Russian singer (bass-barytone) Boris Kletinich from Montreal, Canada was graduated from the University of Theater Art and Film of Moscow (Russia). During his military service, he was soloist of the Air Force Orchestra and Chorus of the Red Army. Boris can sing different musical forms: Russian popular and love songs, rock and love ballad, the jazz, the popular writings of Broadway, the Jewish and Latin America songs, arias of opera.
If you want ethnic music at your wedding, Vasily Romani of the Vasily Romani Gypsy Band suggests first finding out who the band members are, what part of the country they are from, and the type of music they play. “We play Russian gypsy music,” he says proudly.
Vasily came here in 1991 from Russia. “I came for the freedoms of America. I used to work in a famous gypsy theater in Moscow,” he says. “It was the Romana Theatre, where I played guitar and sang. It was a big group, with 75 musicians and dancers.”
They’ve performed for several plays at La Mama Theatre. “One show was ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ and the other was ‘The Defense of Prague.’ Now they’re going to make a movie, and we have been invited to play for that too.”
“Gypsy music is special,” says Vasily. “In the 19th century gypsys were popular and famous for their beautiful, bright costumes. In Russia, people invite gypsys to weddings because they bring luck and good fortune.
“We are so happy to be able to give people our energy, our talent, the beauty of our musical arts, and the gypsy rhythm. This is my job, to make people happy.”
For more than a thousand years, when nobility celebrates a marriage, they call for gypsy musicians whose long tradition of passionate and enticing music is believed to bring good luck to the wedding couple and great joy to the family and guests.
