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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Al di Meola, Timisoara, Romania, Sept. 16 2006
    Posted: September 17 2006 at 02:54
(better sit down with a drink beside you while reading - if - , I've done quite a sketch and combined, as usual, the personal with the direct, the mutual with the individual, the subjective with the objective and so...hope you enjoy...)

Superlatives; the closest possible touch


or

Al di Meola & Gumbi Ortiz @ Plai Festival
day 2, September 16 2006
Timisoara, Romania

We Romanian folks are a people with a hidden passion for a culture and a select passion for culture and I like to state that as affirmative and not as arguable. Thus, besides the usual habits and the normal activities (which includes pretty much all, from music to attitudes of life), there is the collective which appreciates not what is exacerbately offered, but what can be found, not what is easy and correlative, but what is challenging and has its beauty in the challenge. Yes, the picture of us runs mainly in a routine that doesn't let is self outline somehow else or better. However, there are the attentive, there are the ones who manage, there are the listeners, there are the people sharing thoughts of an indescribable elevation. Culture meets its quality when its moment is defined. And that, ultimately, counts...though it could do more.

Anyway, Timisoara - my own, my old, my never, my sorrow, my delight - is of a slight cultural advantage, among other cities from the country. It's a feeling, it's more than a metaphor, it's more than a possibility. So chances of valuable things in a domain of pure resonance can happen, have happen -- happened. In an thought that exceeded usual displays, like night clubs, jazz cafe, square market, promo features, small stage performances, session of little anvergure, movements of slow motion, desires of a fused moment, images of a short memory, impressions of a personal echo, come occasionally the portrait of a special thing and of a grand thing. All possible and reachable. All made in nothing else that art, music, joy and passion's general unbeatable motions.

"Plai Festival" was raised as an idea, as I've heard, of teenagers wanting more and hoping to find the support of more. Thus these teenagers made out the scheme for a three-days cultural motion which to be authentic and to evade from the normal spirit of "any-kind-of-meal festival, sausages and alcohol excession or (most important - my adding) loud noise, harsh music, bad itches...". The spirit was in the right receptiveness and the support came, in a quite considerable way. The fingerprints of a proper direction came up from the Minister Of Culture and Cult to media publicity affections, Cultural and Intercultural centers, unions and associations, names of an illustrative orientation towards a plan made artistical.

At its first year, "Plai Festival" served its cause right and gave the chance towards moments of good time. September 15- September 17 was a period that perfectly dodged the school beginnings (at least for me) or any important other reflections (except perhaps the local soccer game of saturday, that to be ironic), imposed a spirit of weekend of most comfort, made an issue of attendance into a leisure caust (20 RON = under 10$) and gave everything its smooth walk and its undisturbed laws. The reaction was of course as mutual as possible.

Also for a festival debut, the motto related to all actions. Being diverse and not restricted, "Plai Festival" done the cover of many possible things in many possible ways. Thus the three days consisted of activites of a wide range, in an intended mood. Only to mention generally how each day came in its large point with theater shows, film projections and kids activities, small "book-fests", intensive lessons of inter-linguistics, african traditional games, percussion work-shops, tours and view, intercultural modalities and relations discussions, only to end up, from the evening onto night's deepest breath, with music concerts, in a spirit of jazz, of improv, of jam session, of collectiveness and of a fine ardor. Man, oh Man.



Slowly coming (finally, heh) towards my intended description, the two music nights of Friday and Saturday gathered the known and the experience, the slim-renown and the fantastic apprecition, the title and the gesture, the experiment and the walked-on state, the motive and the rational, the impression and the expression; artists like Funky Train, Agkebo Cultural Group, Dikie Krauser Band, Mircea Florian & Shukar Collective, Natasa Milosavjelic, Blazzaj, Eldad Tarmu Chamber Jazz Ensemble have participate and have made good performance. But mostly everything came to the wanted glorious end and to the grand surprise of Al di Meola, in duet with percussionist Gumbi Ortiz, ending in a "blast" of a view and marking an accomplishment like none before. Incidentally I have heard people asking informations only regarding the day of Saturday and the moment of Meola. 

Must say that Meola's distinction overshadowed the rest; however not in the way of saying everything went mellow just to go fantastic, just in the way that it was clearly not the same to experience Funky Train or Eldad Tarmu Chamber Jazz and to feel the sensation of Al di Meola - acousticly dazzling. Perhaps the sole highlight except was Mircea Florian & Shukar Collection, but mostly I can't say more and I can't even feel more. The first day was tad dissapointing and I found little substance, just because I was not the man of jazz and the fan of such movements. Not that I found no redeem in anything, but that grandness was not to be spoken off, estompated. Up Saturday I directly arrived for the hour of 23 PM, the hour of the great artist. With sincereness I saw that he was the greatest and the mot intense moment of music, while the other guest gave their utmost intention in just a fine moment.

Up concerning attendance, many came and many felt, but mostly over anybody, of any type showed up. The made stage became small, but the people staying and watching were clearly the ones in the full perspective. At first, I arrived with the fear of not integrating, until I realized you don't have to integrate, you have to find your spot and to decide what you are going to do. Not long before I found my place, my heart stopped beating and my rhythm found its wave, I've started to react to what I see. Many people of many intentions. Thus at "Plai Festival" came the cultural addicts I've just mentioned about in the first paragraphs, the people of a night musical mood, the listeners of generation, the people of dazzle, the hearts of content, the stationary traveller; but also joining were the groups and the friendships, the gatherings and the resorts, the ones "in for the money" and the ones desperately wanting that alcohol, the people to talk and interact, the ones to linger and to not care, the few ones to mocker and to depreciate, the drunks, the idiots, the ignorants and the one not knowing at all what's supposed to be of this and of them. An main collecting in different colours.



Finally my impression over Al di Meola's performance, importance, and impregnance. Starting up late after the designated hour (23.30 instead of 23.00, out of technical measurements), it came in a warm welcome and in a dazzle look (as people stood up to see him, curiously, when he was just pre-testing); some words, but not to count. The start was slow, a warm-up, a motional relaxation, a night mood of slow intense. Even awkward and desolating at one point, the first piece, where people from the first row were stubbornely standing up (or even climed), irritating therefore the crowd behing and the wish far away. By the second piece, Al di Meola himself done a fine gesture of pointing out that he plays for all and each one. The first minutes, the first pieces, the first settlement was slow, but refined, ambiently friendly, nicely done; mostly him by a solo string, but also with Gumbi by a un-rushed rhythm. Applauses in the content, but I also believe that in the context and in the unfamiliar.

The lifted movement came
unexpectedly, thus very charismatic. In a turn of intentions and of passion, every "ignited" in an oustanding burst of energy, of music and of passion. By the sizzling percussion attitude of Gumbi Ortiz and by the fluency of one's special moves, as well as his natural musicality, the pleasure became of an undiminishable refinement; I found myself in a glimpse of heavenly sentiments and in the knowledge and strong confidence that what is played here is naturally eccentric and rare. Superlatives came close to the known desire; motions of greatness came within the soul of a liking beyond any exceptation or intuition. The category was divine, the feeling was emotional, the uplift was complete. In the twist of rhythm followed more than thirty minutes of passionate, elevated, "uber-refined" and of staggering impregnability performance, giving us the memento shockwave, but also - and most definately - offering us the intended maintainance, the infusion of new and never heard before, the sheer quality right next to us, the closest possible touch in the most personal space of connection. Things became more than cultural and musical and such; things became of the caliber to make you satisfyied, over-whelmed, spirited. I just whispered, between my moments of not breathing and my time of not caring of anything else, towards God: "thanks".

Up towards the end, one that came in the relaxed posture of you hoping it would have been more
, but that got compensated, ecstatic was the audience and fantastic was artist's image, reflection and posture. He did them all, in a various mood, within a personal touch and definately without the attitude of something else than a musician and of a man wanting to play for the beloved fans and for the endeavored listeners. An engraved spot in a fluctuant memory. The encores were also of the surprise necesarry and of the mood outstanded. Gumbi Ortiz offered a drop of magic from himself, very good percussionist. And Meola joined himself, up this time in a drum duet; which was enough to constantly express emotions instead of words. Two more encores gave two more glimpses of him being soft and relaxed or intense and moved. Re-inventing purpose. Redefining the moment. The auditory was completely charmed, the experience was most imperatively marked. And everything ended with the mutual gratitude and with the normal promise to happen again. The hour of a fascinating musical co-operation. The moment that, with aplomb, makes the spectacle worth and the creativity fruitfull. The mastertouch and the open inner beautifulness .


Great performance and not just seemingly. A passionate attitude and a man of music like I've rarely seen. Was great and I enjoyed it on a level that meets only few words; and those euphorical. For moi it was also a discovery, as I'm not aquainted with jazz, moreover I'm not even aquainted at all with Meola. Worthy, so worthy. Somehow I did it for my father as well, the real fan, the real relisher; what a crowned evening it must have meant for him - though he likes to keep that idea for him, it comes obvious. As for me...I think I found a reason to live and a motive to be human, moreover artist, in that hour of serenity greatness.

One fine sip of wine. An audentity cultivate one step above. A reason to consider yourself "one of the ones". How essential! Magic...

---------------------

here are some pics I took. I actually filled out my entire new memory card LOL, but here's the rightful, decent selection:






---------------------

here's also a list of tour dates. It can be your magical moment! Thumbs Up

September

09 / 16 / 2006 - TIMISOARA, ROMANIA - MUZEUL SATULUI BANATEAN
09 / 22 / 2006 - NORFOLK, VA - THE ROPER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
09 / 23 / 2006 - SAYREVILLE, NJ - STARLAND BALLROOM
09 / 26 / 2006 - SO. BURLINGTON, VT - HIGHER GROUND
09 / 27 / 2006 - ROCHESTER, NY - WATER STREET MUSIC HALL
09 / 28 / 2006 - PITTSBURGH, PA - MR. SMALL'S THEATRE
09 / 29 / 2006 - NEW YORK, NY - ETHICAL CULTURE CONCERT HALL
09 / 30 / 2006 - ANNAPOLIS, MD - RAM'S HEAD
October

10 / 04 / 2006 - SELLERSVILLE, PA - SELLERSVILLE THEATER
10 / 05 / 2006 - FAIRFIELD, CT - STAGE ONE
10 / 06 / 2006 - BOSTON, MA - BERKLEE PERFORMANCE CENTER
10 / 07 / 2006 - MAMARONECK, NY - THE EMELIN THEATRE
10 / 08 / 2006 - ALBANY, NY - WAMC PERFORMING ARTS
10 / 10 / 2006 - RALEIGH, NC - THE LINCOLN THEATRE
10 / 11 / 2006 - GREENVILLE, SC - THE HANDLEBAR
10 / 13 / 2006 - KENESAW, GA - DOZIER CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS
10 / 14 / 2006 - GERMANTOWN, TN - GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
10 / 17 / 2006 - FERNDALE, MI - THE MAGIC BAG
10 / 18 / 2006 - CINCINNATI, OH - 20th CENTURY THEATRE
10 / 21 / 2006 - CHARLOTTE, NC - McGLOHON THEATRE of SPIRIT
10 / 22 / 2006 - FALLS CHURCH, VA - THE STATE THEATRE
10 / 27 / 2006 - VILNIUS, LITHUANIA - UPA HALL
10 / 29 / 2006 - SALZBURG, AUSTRIA - UNIVERSITATSAULA
November

11 / 02 / 2006 - AZORES, ISLAND OF TERCEIRA - THE FESTIVAL OF RAMO GRANDE
11 / 04 / 2006 - INGOLSTADT,GERMANY - JAZZSTAGE INGOLSTADT
11 / 05 / 2006 - LUNEBURG, GERMANY - KULTURHALLE
11 / 06 / 2006 - BREMEN, GERMANY - GLOCKE THEATER
11 / 07 / 2006 - POTSDAM, GERMANY - NIKOLAI-SAAL
11 / 08 / 2006 - LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY - LEVERKUSENSER JAZZSTAGE
11 / 09 / 2006 - BASEL,SWITZERLAND - FESTSAAL MESSE BASEL
11 / 10 / 2006 - PARIS, FRANCE - NEW MORNING
11 / 11 / 2006 - PARIS, FRANCE - NEW MORNING
11 / 12 / 2006 - DEN HAAG, HOLLAND - WORLD FORUM THEATRE
11 / 28 / 2006 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA - GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL
11 / 30 / 2006 - SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA - COACH HOUSE
Tourdates 2007

January

01 / 17 / 2007 - SANTIAGO, CHILE - PROVIDENCIA JAZZ FESTIVAL, PARQUE de LAS ESCULTURAS
01 / 20 / 2007 - SANTIAGO, CHILE - PROVIDENCIA JAZZ FESTIVAL, PARQUE de LAS ESCULTURAS
March

03 / 22 / 2007 - SEOUL, KOREA - TBA
03 / 24 / 2007 - PUSAN, KOREA - TBA


source: http://www.metalflakes.com/bowlofflakes/showthread.php?p=331277
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2006 at 03:16
Wow Rico, very nicely written, great pics tooClap
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2006 at 03:22
Shocked!!

Lucky dog! No wonder you kept it a secret. Wink Sounds like a brilliant show! Nice pics and your review was..........























.......masterliness. Approve


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 17 2006 at 04:19
thank you. Smile actually it was funny you guys thinking I'm going to Schulze, Tangerine Dream or Michael Jackson, when in fact I was going to a legend of great music. Wink

my first concert ever, btw. I'm finally in the business. ShockedTongue
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 18 2006 at 17:33
w00t!

Concerts pwn.


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2006 at 10:26
... still, maybe sometimes it's a way too "hidden passion for a culture". thank you for reviewing.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2006 at 10:30

Excellent review, wish I was there!

RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2006 at 12:10
Originally posted by andu andu wrote:

... still, maybe sometimes it's a way too "hidden passion for a culture". thank you for reviewing.


buna Andu, did you enjoyed it? Smile

well, I fear that as well, nonetheless it isn't wrong to savour the sublime moment.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 29 2006 at 07:29
rico, i'd like to think that Romania sometimes receives the aura you are describing, but i haven't seen or experienced it yet. i do not think it's a good place for good music, yet. or maybe not outside the region of Timisoara, the main source of good/prog music here. (i don't know whether progfans that might be interested in romanian music -except for Romanians, of course- know that Timisoara is the birthplace for most of the romanian pop-rock music, including the prog masters Phoenix. you, rico, are lucky.)
my unhappy mood against my own place can be explained by a thing that happened to me last evening. it's just an example. i was roaming the Bucharest Mall, it was my fist time there, when suddenly a strong vibe emerged: in the middle of the building, a band of young musicians were performing a great meddle of fusion/acid. they were quite good and i was very surprised because i know this genre is not played here; the band had bassist, guitarist, organist, drummer and three guys on trumpet&sax. i started moving: where's the album they're promoting? i want tot buy it! nothing. when the song finished, some chick walked on the stage and shouted: "Are you ready people? I see you want to feel good tonight, not like the last thursday!", towards the placid people at the coffeeshops. then i realised: it was the regular band of the mall. and they started doing their regular show: Joe Cocker, Lisa Stansfield, Cher... i left. it felt like the princess is forced to be a cinderella because the prince is in a different story.
that's my current mood about my own place, i'm waiting fot better (hopefully not bitter) things to come. or maybe i just have to change the side of the coin. so, how's the weather in Timisoara?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 29 2006 at 16:32
receptiveness towards what is good is the deplorable thing, Andu. I was complementing that people who care actually gather, actually are aquainted, actually can even have something in their vein, not to prove, but to evoke, not to charm, but to please.

Smile

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2006 at 15:42
Thanks for the tour dates, Rico. I see he's coming to Bremen (here) on November 6th. This is sooo nice. I was thinking "wow, if I was home, I would have went to Timisoara no matter what", and suddenly I saw the tour dates... Big smile
Right now I'm in shock. Hopefully, I'll get back with some post-concert impressions.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 13 2006 at 16:05
the shock that he came in Timisoara?! LOL
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 14 2006 at 10:16
Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

the shock that he came in Timisoara?! LOL
 
Well, I meant the shock that he's coming here, but that's a good point too. Tongue Although he had played in Bucharest before, so I guess it's not THAT surprising.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 14 2006 at 10:18
Originally posted by Uroboros Uroboros wrote:

Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

the shock that he came in Timisoara?! LOL
 
Well, I meant the shock that he's coming here, but that's a good point too. Tongue Although he had played in Bucharest before, so I guess it's not THAT surprising.


com'on, Bremen not such an impossible choice. Wink

I didn't know he played before, I though we apprehended a real priviledge LOL
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 14 2006 at 10:43
Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

Originally posted by Uroboros Uroboros wrote:

Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

the shock that he came in Timisoara?! LOL
 
Well, I meant the shock that he's coming here, but that's a good point too. Tongue Although he had played in Bucharest before, so I guess it's not THAT surprising.


com'on, Bremen not such an impossible choice. Wink

I didn't know he played before, I though we apprehended a real priviledge LOL
 
 
He came to Bucharest in 2002, I think it was. I didn't know much about his music at the time (I had only heard Splendido Hotel), but I remember it was only him and his (acoustic) guitar. Actually, that show received some pretty good promotion.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 14 2006 at 10:54
Originally posted by Uroboros Uroboros wrote:

Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

Originally posted by Uroboros Uroboros wrote:

Originally posted by Ricochet Ricochet wrote:

the shock that he came in Timisoara?! LOL
 
Well, I meant the shock that he's coming here, but that's a good point too. Tongue Although he had played in Bucharest before, so I guess it's not THAT surprising.


com'on, Bremen not such an impossible choice. Wink

I didn't know he played before, I though we apprehended a real priviledge LOL
 
 
He came to Bucharest in 2002, I think it was. I didn't know much about his music at the time (I had only heard Splendido Hotel), but I remember it was only him and his (acoustic) guitar. Actually, that show received some pretty good promotion.


well then it was good to have him back for another round of music sensation. Smile
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 07 2006 at 09:22
HEY Uroboros!

You mentioned in a recent post about Meola finally performing in Bremen. How was the performance?  TongueTongueTongue

Very lucky yourself, by many things:

  • he played with the band (he announced here that he had to resort to the rather unusual- for him- duet style)
  • he played two hours (one hour + 20 minutes encore here)
  • he approached autographs easily (I heard he did it sceptically over here)
Cry to all that.
Clap nonetheless.


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 07 2006 at 19:44
I'll try to order my thoughts and post some detailed impressions tomorrow night - until now I couldn't seem to find the time...
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 10 2006 at 18:29

Ok, I remembered I was going to post some details.
First of all, I was expecting something totally acoustic myself, but it was actually a (mostly) electrified evening. He played with the same Gumbi Ortiz on percussion (long time collaborator and friend), but also with one James Taylor on drums, Mario Parmisano on keys (who reminded me of Corea of course, but maybe it's just me making associations based on the style...) and this other guy on bass, whose name I can't remember.
I think they started with something off the new album, Consequence of Chaos, which is superb and a welcome return to the fusion form after a period of mostly acoustic releases. From the older tracks I recognised "Azzura" and "Big Sky Azzura" from The Infinite Desire, my favourite album - I was hoping they would play something from that and I was pleased to hear a different version, richer in layers and somewhat altered harmonically.
After the first half of the concert and the subsequent break, there was a moment of "acoustical challenge", with Al di playing Piazzolla compositions on his acoustic guitar, accompanied by Parmisano, who would constantly provide harmonic keyboard washes for the intricate solo guitar to sink in. A peaceful and inspiring moment, after which the whole band returned to the stage for a rocking number, ended in a delicious drum solo followed by a shorter bass solo. Then, finally, a killer version of the classic "Senor Mouse" from the Casino album, stretched across about ten minutes and seasoned with wonderful improvisation - again, very different from the various versions I'd listened to - more intense and beautiful.
The following encore was predictable, but the people didn't let them go and they came back for a second one, obviously not sure what to play. They somehow started this jam around a samba tune and they developed it looking at each other to make sure they stayed synchronised. Of course it turned out wonderfully and they brought it to an end after another chain of improvised solos.
Of course, Al di's guitar work is out of this world - it's warm, charismatic, elegant and subtle, weaving a magical web around the complex harmony. His guitar held the whole thing together, giving meaning to the constant flow of sounds from the other players, filled with counterpoints and time signature shifts. I felt like I was proposed a new meaning of the word "musicianship" and I admit I've never heard such tasteful interplay and such impressive spontaneity on stage. Especially the ultraspeed "duels" between Al di and Ortiz were a treat, and they seemed almost childishly amused and surprised by what the other one was doing when it was something spontaneous. The fact that they were natural and relaxed on stage and they enjoyed playing together gives you such a great feel when you're in the audience...
As is usual with many great artists, they're humble and don't act like untouchable showbiz stars. The great Al di Meola arrived in front of the theatre in a taxi before the concert, while I and other people were waiting to get in, simply carrying the guitar on his back, he nodded politely to us and got in. Then, after the concert, he came down to the theatre hallway to give autographs at the cd stand. I got a signature and I made a picture as well (but unfortunately it didn't come out right on the film because of the crappy camera I had borrowed, so right now I'm still banging my head against the wall for not having any picture to post here)... Anyway, it felt pretty strange and seriously breathtaking to exchange a few words with such a wonderful man - I felt like floating somewhere high above the ground and I still do when I think of that moment...
One thing I'd like to point out is that, although there were about 800 people in the theatre hall (1000 seats, almost all of them taken), I couldn't find ONE person who looked younger than 35. I looked carefully but not a chance. I'm 21 and I consider myself so lucky for being able to see Al di Meola in concert... Bremen is supposed to have some kind of cultural tradition, it should be (and is) a place where artistic events are not uncommon, so the question is: where was the young audience? How is it possible that no young German boy/girl in a city of 300,000 inhabitants comes to a concert of Al di Meola on a Monday evening, when he's playing with a full band in the theatre downtown? This is kind of alarming to me, and honestly I think there's more (young) public interested in things like this in Romania than here. Maybe that's why Mr. di Meola has extended his live dates to Eastern Europe in the past few years.

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