Living Legend - French Gypsy Band Leader to Tour the US in 2004

Serge Camps will be touring the US with his band, Opus 4 in 2004. Carps has performed with all the Gypsy Greats, including Angelo Debarre and Yul Brenner of King and I fame.

(PRWEB) November 1, 2003 --
For Bookings and Info:

Barbara Kanter
847-256-3223
opus4chant@aol.com
www.KanterVentures.com

Opus 4 -- was born in south of France near by Saint Tropez. This Gypsy Swing String Quartet offers an opportunity to listen to some of the most rhythmic and emotional sounds emanating from any part of the world. Part instrumental, part vocal, the music has moved people to clap and dance at celebrations throughout the ages. With each harmonious song, these journeymen musicians transport the audience into a rousing fete of Gypsy Swing Music. Its broad repertoire of Gypsy, Folk and Klezmer style music spans the borders of Russia, Poland, Hungary, Germany, Spain, France Romania and all the hidden place in between and accounts for its broad international appeal. Its living legend leader, Serge Camps, knows how to gauge the mood and interests of each audience, and designs unique shows to suit their needs.
OPUS 4 has toured Europe for the since 1997, performing at numerous festivals in Europe and Asia.
•   1998 Théatre: le Sentier des halles
•   1999 Festival Django Reinhardt de Barcelone. Festival de la Villette. Tour of Hong Kong and Taiwan
Théatres: le Divan du Monde and le Philarmonique de Berlin.
•   2000 Festival Django Reinhardt d'Oslo. Festival d'Avignon. Défilés de mode: Yoshi Yamamoto (Bercy) Tour of Asia and Singapore
•   2001 Festival Django Reinhardt de Samois sur Seine. Festival d'Avignon. Tour of Singapore and Sénégal.
•   2002 Festival de jazz de Montreux
•   2003 Festival tzigane de Paris and Trianon Tournée of Switzerland
•   2004 Will Tour of United States and Canada

Barbara Kanter   847-256-3223   opus4chant@aol.com

Information: Barbara Kanter 847.256.3223 opus4chant@aol.com

Serge Camps is descended from a family of French and Ukrainian musicians, was raised like a Gypsy touring Europe with his parents, and is fluent in both French and Russian. For the past 45 years he has worked as a performer, composer, arranger and studio musician with the great gypsy vocalists and musicians in the most prestigious venues of the world. The 1996 formation of Opus 4 represents the flowering of his accumulation of experience as both a guitarist and singer.
At the age of 14 he started to play guitar. By the age of 15 he was hired as a bass player in Russian cabaret located in Paris and called "La Grande Séverine". There he met Mark de Loutchek who created the "Balalaika Ensemble".
An historical moment occurred in 1967 when Serge had the singular honor of recording the one and only CD featuring Yul Brenner the actor, the Russian-French, (with the Romas and Jews often claiming him as their own) on The Gypsy And I album by Vanguard. This recording has become a popular artifact among Russians, although rarely mentioned in the American discographies of the King of Siam". Undiscouraged, he continued to produce recordings with scores of other notable artists. Fortunately, many of Serges other recordings have met with much greater critical acclaim and popularity than his early attempt with the famous Hollywood and Broadway star.
Starting in 1968, for the next 20 years "Balalaika Ensemble", toured with the Russian singer Ivan Rebroff. Serge performed with Rebroff in famous theaters like, Carnegie and Royal Albert Halls.
From 1985 to 1990, Serge and his father opened and managed the Parisian cabaret "La Roue Fleurie". It became the hangout for the gypsies from Paris. It was here that he began became the mentor to a younger generation of musicians such as Raphael Fays and Angelo Debarre. In fact, Debarre credited his interest in Hungarian gypsy music to his many appearances with Serge at La Roue Fleurie. In 1989 Jon Larsen from Hot Club Records, brought together Debarre, Serge Camps and Frank Anastasio in Norway to produce the CD 'Gypsy Guitars' - A showcase CD for the incredible variety of the Gipsy repertory and then the CD, Angelo Is Back in Town. In addition to his performances with Opus 4 during the past year he has performed sat Ravinia and the prestigious New York and Northwest DjangoFests.

Bruno Ossola started to play guitar when he was 12 years. After school graduation he started to make a living upon business. He was 26 years old when he went to Berklee College of music, and graduate with a diploma. From 1987 to 1992 he performed with the singer Djuri owner of the Gipsy cabaret located in Saint Germain des prés. In 1997 he joined OPUS 4 as a bass player.

Pierre Gorsky started to play guitar when he was 12 years old playing Rock and Roll and Finger picking Style. At the age of 19 he find a new interest into the music of Eastern Europe and he recorded compact disks with many artists very well known in that style of music, such as, Raya, Petro Ivanovitch, Biélka, Tzar, Adama. He also recorded with Anna Prucnal and a flamenco guitarist Manel Delgado within the band Airé. Tzar Trio, whose CD "TsarTZAR, with Oleg Ponomarenko and Pierre Proucoudine-Gorsky

Piotr Sapieja The band features Piotr Sapieja, a Polish violinist. Piotr started to play violin when he was 8 years old. Piotr made he first public appearance at 13 years old., it had its first public appearances. The theatre orchestra of Danzig hired him as a professional violinist at 16. He also played the viola and schlagzeug with varios Dixie and Jazz combos. By the age of 13 he performed for family parties and began working as a paid professional musician when he was 16 years old. He also played drums in the Gansk Theater for top 40's and jazz bands. In 1982 he moved to France and played violin in the National Orchestra of Tours for 4 years. In 1987 he moved to Paris to be closer to the music scene. During those years he accompanied the singer Rachel des Bois and played in the band Mulator. In 1994 he joined with the band Arbat and toured France for 3 years. In 1997 he joined OPUS 4.
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