The band Gogol Bordello has its roots in Eastern European Gypsy music. The band’s leader, Eugene Hutz, is of Romani ancestry. He grew up in Ukraine but became a refugee and as a teenager he moved with his family to Vermont.
For the past eight years, Eugene has been playing the New York music scene and watching his band grow to encompass nine very diverse musicians. Band members hail from Russia, Israel, and Equador, to name just a few.
The band’s music can be as hard to pin down as its members’ influences. But Gogol Bordello calls itself a gypsy punk band.
The band is currently in the midst of an international tour. But recently Eugene and three of his band mates stopped by our studios en route to a concert in Montpelier to give us a taste of their music.
VPR’s Jane Lindholm asked Eugene Hutz to start out by explaining the difference between traditional gypsy music and Gogol Bordello.
Photo/Jane Lindholm