Balkan Folk
 

I'm interested in getting into this, mainly due to the fact im rinsing Beirut at the moment. Suggestions would be nice?

Um, I know very little about it but I think these guys might be what you're aiming for. Mostar Sevdah Reunion – Listen free and discover music at Last.fm

Search the similar artists maybe?

P.s. Don't even try the videos, they're terrible.

I have a boxset of Balkan Beats which introduces some minor electronic beats throughout the tracks. I think it's bloody brilliant but not for everyone. It's so refreshing to hear music that has it's own complete identity.

http://i29.tinypic.com/wlawc1.jpg

I have a huge soft-spot for this type of stuff :p:. You should try these -

Taraf de Haidouks (Romanian gypsy type of stuff)
Le Mystere des voix Bulgares (Female fronted vocals...they do change their vocalist often though)
Muzsikas (Not exactly Balkan, but close to it though)
Fanfare Ciocarlia

I only own a couple of Le Mystere des voix Bulgares and Fanfare Ciocarlia stuff and the others are just kind of jumbled up. Keep in mind though, that most of these depend heavily on my mood and you might not end up liking it. I'll try and send some over, but my net is really slow atm :(.

Edit: And oh, I haven't yet listened to Beirut, so I'm not really sure. This is more of the traditional kind of stuff.

You might dig these guys that I know from back in Philly.

There's also a norwegian jazz/folk-balkan band called "Farmers Market". Their concerts are amazing, extremely talented musicians all of them - especially the multi-instrumentalist frontman Stian Carstensen who plays a range of instruments and is, beyond a doubt, the most virtuosic sucker I've ever heard with an accordian - both live and on recordings. ;)

Their last album from 2008 is called "Surfin' USSR" and is supposedly very good. It won the equivalent of a norwegian grammy here.

I can't up it for you, but I know it's out there .. so if you send me a PM, I can help.

Muzikas are brilliant, what is the album they did with that Hungarian (i think) singer, it sounded like Edith Piaf over Yiddish music? f*cking amazing. I am more for the traditional stuff though, like English folk I HATE modern production, keyboards, any of that sh*t

this is way too perfect hehe but there's a Naftule Brandwein track on the last 10-track I posted. It's from 'the King of Klezmer Clarinet' compilation of all the stuff he cut in the twenties in America, genuinely amazing music (edit, this is a legitimate freaky coincidence, i was thinking of starting a klezmer thread myself but this is better ;))

This stuff is wonderful, welcome to the world of strange new music!

Thank you wikipedia.

After reading swim's comment, I checked wikipedia.

From Wikipedia : "This is mainly because it was influenced by traditional music of the Southeastern European ethnic groups and mutual music influences of this ethnic groups in the period of Ottoman Empire."

I'm impressed .. It's actually word for word. :p