Posts Tagged ‘Mike Stern’

17 Aug

The Boys Are Back In Town – MAN DOKI SOULMATES Budapest

Posted by www.rollinginbudapest.com in Budapest - Hungary. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

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Upon their 30 years of existence, the supergroup he leads… the MAN Doki Soulmates, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a concert in Budapest.

The boys are back in town with musician-producer Leslie Mandoki’s band, and visited Mandoki’s Soulmates. The main rehearsal toom place at Bem quayside Club on Thursday, August 17, 2023.  On Friday, 18. August Mandoki Soulmates will give a free jubilee concert with world stars, including Grammy Award-winning guitarist Al Di Meola, American jazz guitarist Mike Stern, bassist Richard Bona and jazz trumpeter John Helliwell (one of my favorites from Supertramp) at the Basilica on the Szentáromság square – Budapest. The concert starts at 7 p.m. and to grab your seats early cause the seats are limited.

After a small band rehearsal, musician-producer Leslie Mandoki introduced the artists joining the band at the Mandoki Soulmates press conference on Thursday evening. In addition to the international stars, he also introduced domestic performers Caramelt and Misi Mező, with whom they will also perform at the concert on August 18.

Even before his defection from Hungary in 1975, he played music on this stage with such fame as the giant flute artist Ádám Török+.

After jamming, a short press conference was held. He said that they started this year’s tour with their American and English friends, and they wanted to come to Budapest at first before the tour to Europe. He introduced the Budapest soulmates team. This year, the biggest American-English soulmates group will take the stage. He also talked about how Al Di Meola gave the name of the super group, he and the Grammy-winning guitarist know each other preety well, and have formed a lifelong friendship. He emphasized that this is not a retro group, different musical styles come together… Hungarian folk music, fusion jazz, funky, soul, rhythm&blues.

He said they wrote a “Peace Song” which maybe doesn’t fit in the mood of the whole world at all… BUT still… as he said: Q.:” We are the grandchildren of the Woodstock generation and felt that we now owe it to the audience to address the song which title is: Devil’s Encyclopedia .

Q.: “About the choosen venue this time. The Basilica played a major role in selecting the venue, we had to make sure that the audience had the best in every aspect, so that they could enjoy every moment of the four and a half hour concert.”

Mandoki spoke about how he fled Hungary,  he was a dissident in 1975. Beyond on the other side of the border,  he was asked where he was going, he said to America because he wanted to be a famous musician as his role models. Since then he has lived in Germany and America. He himself wrote the lyrics of the songs in English, because even though he loves the varied Hungarian language, it is easier to write in English.

Added: Q.: “What keeps this fantastic team of 35 people together is the community of values, the love of music and most of all the fact that we are SOULMATES … we live with the audience, this is what has kept the band together for 30 years”.

The soulmates musicians have won a total of more than 35 Grammy awards so far, and the number of audio carriers sold exceeds 350 million.

Recommender and snaps by Aggie Reiter

22 Aug

Leslie Mandoki – Motto …”It is always important to build bridges and easy on the wavelength of music.”

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Mandoki Soulmates … visited the band rehearsal for the 30th anniversary concert, which took place in the Bem Klub upstairs room (District, I., 6. Bem rakpart Budapest). … (Just mentioning (editor’s comment) this historical venue was in the old days the unforgiven gatherness, controlled spot for individuals /groups/ bands to come together by the existing government. One of the famous “Sirius” group rehersaled here in the late 70s (one of my favorite musician Jackie Orszaczky known personally) the group style was characterized by the progressive jazz-rock trend, which did not fit into the “like!” of the dictatorship at the time being, saying that this was pure Western ape. Mandoki sometimes visited wayback that venue and like what he have heard by them.)

After three own music rehearsal songs played together by icons such as Al Di Meola, Randy Brecker, Bill Evans, Jack Bruce, Mike Stern, Ian Anderson, Richard Bon and Takács Tamás Hungarian singer (Carthago band) also joined the international team showing just a peck into the forthcoming next day concert to hear at the Szentháromság Square across the River Danube on the Buda side of Budapest.

Following the rehearsal was held to the media representative a short press hearing, where in brief Mandoki introduced the group to hold the concert tomorrow. Thereafter told his story of how and when left Hungary. The world-renowned musician and music producer Leslie Mandoki, lived in Germany and California since 1975, when decided to defect at the age of 22 – together with his two fellow artists, Gábor Csupó and László Szűcs. Leslie Mandoki, who has a diverse and successful musical career spanning several decades, was the music director of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s campaign, the composer of Disney films, German and American TV films, and, among other things, the pride of his narrower homeland, Bavaria: Bayern Munich and Volkswagen-Audi-Porsche he is also the musical director and consultant of the concern.

He artistically took care of the records of stars such as Chaka Khan, Phil Collins, Lionel Richie, Jennifer Rush. Leslie founded a world-famous record studio 40 years ago, which is the reason for an extra anniversary celebration this year. From the beginning members were Randy Brecker, Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Al Di Meola, Mike Stern, Chris Thompson (Manfred Mann’s Earth Band), David Clayton-Thomas (Blood Sweat & Tears), Bill Evans (Miles Davis Band) , Bobby Kimball (Toto), Peter Maffay, Nick van Eede (Cutting Crew), Jesse Sibenberg (Supertramp) and John Helliwell (Supertramp).

Few thoughts he shared: at the press gathering:“Q” The team is based on common human, moral and artistic values, and respectful humility towards the audience. 30 years ago we agreed that we would only communicate directly with each other, leaving managers, concert organizers, record companies and lawyers out of the equation. This is the only way to bring together and keep together this team of world stars in such an excellent way.” Also added “Q” His fellow musicians “Soulmates” is also unique thanks to the world stars: the frontman and bandleaders of the legendary bands do not simply form a band, but also a deepen their community of values.

The 30th anniversary concert starting at 7 p.m. on August, 19 @  the Buda Castle, Szentháromság Square, will be open to the public free of charge as part of the St. Stephen’s Day celebration series.

In briefly about the next day’s concert… Strong winds, thunder, heavy lightning lightened up the sky and
due to the storm approaching the capital, the organizers informed Mandoki that the open-air 30-year anniversary concert performance had to be interrupted, but the musician did not want to accept the decision therefore the organizers announced that they would turn off the electricity and called on the audience to leave quickly.

Riport and snaps Aggie Reiter