Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz Presents
Les Yeux Noirs In Concert
Pedal to the Metal European Gypsy-Klezmer
In Los Angeles
Saturday, March 7, 2015

LOS ANGELES, CA –  February 9, 2015 – Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz (TRK), the performance space at Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles, is pleased to present the exhilarating Les Yeux Noirs In Concert on Saturday, March 7, 2015 in Los Angeles. Fronted by two violin-wielding Jewish brothers, Eric and Olivier Slabiak, Paris-based sextet Les Yeux Noirs (The Black Eyes) offers up an infectious Gypsy-Klezmer-Yiddish meld of raucous music with plenty of jazzy flourishes to boot. The virtuosity of the two violinists provokes awe; they can play faster than fast with a range of moods from playful to serious. The TRK event is part of Les Yeux Noirs’ 2015 North American tour, which also includes stops in St. Albert, Alberta; Vancouver, British Columbia; Mercer Island, WA; Santa Cruz, CA; San Jose, CA; Louisville, KY; Wayne, NJ; Sheboygan, WI; Cedar Rapids, IA; Chicago IL; and West Palm Beach, FL.

The 75-minute event begins at 7:30pm at Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz, which is located at 10361 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90064 (310-286-0553). Tickets are $35 for adults and $25 for students. A no host bar will be available. For more information on this event, please visit TRK’s event page here and the Facebook event page here. Tickets can be purchased here. For information about Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz, please visit www.theatreraymondkabbaz.com.

“When I saw Les Yeux Noirs at the Skirball Center in 2006, the band astonished me with its amazing precision and profound soulfulness,” says Pierre Leloup, Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz Director. “The heights of joy, as well as the depths of sorrow, permeate their music.”

Les Yeux Noirs –
Les Yeux Noirs combine elements of Yiddish, Klezmer, Jazz Manouche, as well as other Romani music, which has moved people to sing and dance around the world for centuries. The French group was founded by two brothers, Eric and Olivier Slabiak, who both play violin. Additional band members are François Anastasio, Aidje Tafial, Dario Ivkovic, and Julien Herné.

The band’s albums contain everything from Yiddish lullabies to rousing, dance-inspiring fusions of Klezmer violin with modern sampling and Arabic drums. Their name, which means the black eyes, is taken from a 19th Century tune made popular by Django Reinhardt. The band combines violins, violoncello, accordion, electric guitar, cimbalom, and electronic samples in innovative, highly complementary ways.

This Paris-based sextet offers an irresistible invitation to participate in some of the most rhythmic and emotional sounds emanating from any part of the world. With each frenetic stroke of their bows, Les Yeux Noirs take the listener further into a dizzying vortex of Central and Eastern European sounds and images, from Hungary to Armenia. They sing songs in French, Russian, Romanian, and Yiddish. A number of their songs start out slowly, before instruments and sounds gather into a melding of melodies and fast-paced rhythms, until the music spins out of control into a manic frenzy. Their combination of traditional and original songs of travel, love, celebrations, and heart-rending laments evoke the blues.

“It’s music for travelers,” says violinist Eric Slabiak of the group’s music, “We wish you a good trip!”

For the band, the trip began in 1992. The Slabiak brothers, the two founders, were both conservatory-trained violinists who changed their tune after hearing Klezmer and Gypsy music. Their most recent album, Tiganeasca, was released in 2010.

Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz –
Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz (TRK) is a non-profit institution dedicated to the promotion of art and culture in the West Los Angeles area. This 220-seat theater welcomes multidisciplinary and multicultural shows. TRK’s mission is to be an open window on French and international cultures and to inspire and sustain a lifelong appreciation for the arts.

Links –
• Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz – http://www.theatreraymondkabbaz.com
• Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pagesTheatre-Raymond-Kabbaz/43864706321
• Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz Event Page – http://www.theatreraymondkabbaz.com/2014/10/03/les-yeux-noirs-concert
• Facebook Event Page – https://www.facebook.com/events/588442184624004
• Les Yeux Noirs – http://www.lesyeuxnoirs.net
• Eye for Talent – http://www.eyefortalent.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/artist.detail/artist_id/17

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For more information, photos, to schedule an interview, or to request complimentary press tickets; please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

Les Yeux Noirs
(photo credit: Laurent Prost)