Lamajamal

Lamajamal was formed in Chicago in 2003 by Ronnie Malley, George Lawler and Joey Spilberg. Originally sticking to music mostly from North Africa, the band soon expanded to include other musical traditions when Eve Monzingo and Gary Kalar joined the group in 2004. Weaving the common threads between Balkan, Middle Eastern, and North African music into something also contemporary and American, Lamajamal quickly became one of Chicago's premier world music groups, playing at the Chicago World Music Festival 4 times in a row, including a stint as Turkish Roma clarinet wizard Selim Sesler's band, and releasing an album of Kashmiri folk music underwritten by FUNKAR, a NGO promoting the preservation and appreciation of Kashmiri language and arts. Their latest LP, 'Tsikago' expands their sound further with more instruments, original compositions, and luscious studio production.