"Fronted by a pair of spirited Roma sisters, Mec Yek is the brainchild of Piet Maris (Jaune Toujours). His fascination with Eastern European gypsy culture has culminated in forming this tradition-savvy yet musically adventurous combo, one powered along by accordion, clarinet, double bass and drums.
Mec Yek presents a new album ‘Taisa’, meaning ‘tomorrow’. It’s the ‘mañana’ from the Roma, you could say. And the Covid year 2020 will show to be decisive for the sound of the new repertoire. Mec Yek has opted for a lightweight percussion device, so that it could be easily manoeuvred for safe rehearsals in a wide variety of locations.
For the repertoire itself, Katia and Milka went back to their youth in Kosice, Slovakia, to a demo of songs they made with their brothers. But there are also special arrangements of traditional Roma songs.
Singing is in Romanes, but sometimes also in Russian and there is even a little bit of Dutch. With a wide range of styles, from tarantella to ska to island blues.
But against all odds : Mec Yek is a gypsy band without a violin." - https://mecyek.bandcamp.com/
