Exclusively for exitfest.org and myexit.org, Gogol Bordello answer the public's questions:
What is the inspiration behind your music?
Resolving polarities of life, for myself and those who enjoy what i do...
Are moustaches coming back into fashion?
Back? i didnt know they were ever gone... not in the music i listen to.
Why Exit?
We try to make sure we play Eastern Europe regularly, the roots of our touring are here, all our first tours years ago were here, in a small van, small towns of eastern europe, small clubs... it was time of test of dedication...
Which is your favourite film from Emir Kusturica?
Time of the gypsies, i think i like most of them actually...
Have you recorded any particular song for Madonna’s new movie, “Filth and Wisdom”, which stars your singer Eugene Hutz?
It features tracks from Super Taranta record, our last one, and also from our side project J.U.F.... so about 10 songs total, basicly most of it is us... plus it features some music from my relatives the Kolpakov Trio, the best russian Roma trio... Sasha Kolpakov is authentic to the bone... so, everything i showed to Madonna from my collection, she seemed to love and tried give it a good spotlight... very cool to work with...
Pistols or Ramones?
Hulio Iglesias
Madonna or Kylie?
Slayer
Do more people in America now know about Bela Bartok? :)
Perhaps a little, but to be perfectly honest, i dont know how much they know about him even in Hungary... its the fucking air head times, you dont have a hit single, nobady knows who you are... but they definetly know more about Nikolai Gogol... i was acually just asked to write an introduction to a new american edition of Gogol's historical novel Taras Bulba, about Cossakdom .... it is inspired by GB popularity with hopes to bring it to the youth... so that was a big honor, and that way Nicolai Gogol gets a hit single too! the cicle
Do you read Rolling Stone magazine?
Ocasionally,
Favourite character from Russian literature...
Voland, from Master and Margarita, Bulgakov is from my hometown actually, from Kiev... that book was the bible of soviet underground culture... conflict of supernatural with the systhem, where Devil is the good guy... its brilliant... many russian punk bands quoted and were inspired by it, i was no exception...
Is there a team of stylists that help in creating your image or are you self-inspired?
Of course, a whole jury of producers tells me what kind of sox to wear... what happened?... the questions suddenly became so silly?...
Has anyone ever told you that you resemble Magnificom?
Dont know who that is, but must be a pretty fun guy, girl, theatre?... whatever it is... salute!
Punk is definitely not dead. Thanks to whom?
Thanx to all the brutal forms of social organization that countries employ to keep the human spirit down, thanx to capitols that tell the rest of people what to do, and thanx to all the assholes who work for that vision of the world... but purification fires coming, those with material values are not gonna make it through it...
Whose performance at this year’s Exit would you like to catch?
Manu, of course... if any local Roma are playing, i will be there too.
What was the main inspiration behind your latest studio album, “Super Taranta”?
It was an album dedicated to FIRST hand expirience, as opposed to life in front of screens... which is what it all came down too...internet of course is amaizing and useful and Viva!, but i hate to bum you out, it does not replace actual life expirience... people think they are expiriencing the world through screens, but in reality
they are just expiriencing screens... lots of lots of screens...so i picked up my little bag and went to Siberia, Carpaty, Morocco...where they dont have them... plus i was obsessed with ancient beat of tarantella, so that was the glue topic for all thise expiriences...
British comedian Phill Jupitus has described you as “A bit like The Clash and The Pogues having a fight ... in Eastern Europe.” Do you agree?
yeah i remember this, it was on Juvels Holland show... except you
Forgot the part where he says " and the Clash wins!"
