New Zealand writer Garth Cartwright's celebrated 2005 book Princes Amongst Men explores the music and the culture of the Roma communities surviving in the Balkan countries of Serbia, Macedonia, Romania and Bulgaria. Tracking down much of the music mentioned in the book (which "reads like a road movie," in the opinion of Mojo) had been difficult - until now. Thanks to Berlin's enterprising Asphalt Records, here we have a delicious and generously filled sampler which illuminates the genius of Gypsy music in the Balkans. This who-is-who of Roma musicians includes Taraf de Haidouks, Boban Markovi_, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Toni Iordache, Ko_ani Orkestar, and the inimitable Esma Red_epova, along with a host of unfamiliar voices awaiting discovery.
