Oi-Va-Voi

Oi-Va-Voi formed in December 1999 when six disparate London musicians became united by a desire to create a new sound in dance music. Already well versed in music styles such as dub, funk and drum n’ bass, the six began to explore the traditional musics of Eastern Europe and the Jewish world – styles as of yet relatively unexposed in the West. Two and a half years later, the results are explosive.

Oi-Va-Voi’s dance-floor savvy saw them quickly securing gigs for some of the most dance-hungry crowds and venues including Glastonbury 2000, The Melkweg, Amsterdam, The Knitting Factory, New York and Subterrania and Cargo, London.

At the same time, their genuine respect for traditional Eastern European melodies and rhythms secured performances on some important world music stages, including the Dranouter Festival, Belgium (where they were hailed as “…one of this year’s revelations…”) and Robert Wyatt’s Meltdown Festival in London.

Furthermore, collaborative projects with Moroccan dance act Momo and with Algerian piano legend Maurice El Médioni gave Oi-Va-Voi tour experience in Germany and Russia. Throughout all of these gigs, the response from the diverse crowds was overwhelming, making it clear to the Voi that, by mixing the soulfulness and passion of traditional Eastern European music with club-style break-beat, they had discovered a powerfully contagious new sound.

Oi-Va-Voi’s completed their debut album Digital Folklore in March 2002, complete with tracks featuring drum n’ bass, dub, funky-house and heart-felt lyrics, all mixed with the Voi’s unique, Eastern European inspired melodic style. Since the completion of the album, tracks have featured on compilation albums including Futuro Flamenco (Outcaste Records), and the forthcoming Siddharta: Spirit of Buddha (Buddha Bar) and Phat Global 2 (Palm Pictures).