Miqueu Montanaro from close up

Here is the closest picture you could (I could) ever take of Miqueu Montanaro and here is the story of how I did it.

Here is Miqueu Montanaro (in black shirt with pink scarf) and the East Wind at a recent concert.

Ten minutes before the concert I was shopping at this booth, at the street market, that sold handmade Hungarian recorders and flutes. And who did I meet at the tent . . .

. . . Of course Miqueu trying out the instruments. He gave me permission in Hungarian to take a couple of pictures of him and of course the master of the recorders. Here he is playing two recorders: one double one with a two-note-scale, and then he grabbed a second one, too. He sounded like a one-man-band . But then the recorder maker joined in . . . too bad I don't have a recording to go with the picture. Neverthelss . . . its a precious photo! More info on Miqueu below.

Miqueu Montanaro plays many instruments: alto saxophone, accordion, varoius flutes and other curiosities. The instruments speak the language Montanaro taught them: jazz, music from the east of Europe and improvised music. And there isn't a country where his name would not be known. This Hungarian origin, French musician played in Pecs tonight with his legendary band East Wind (Vents D'Est) again for the first time in a long time. It is real genuine European music at its best (most recognizably French, Hungarian, Turkish and more influence from the Balkans.) Tonight Gulserem Yildirin, a Turkish singer and dancer, and Gyongyi Ecsi a Hungarian singer and painter performed with them, too.

I didn't take video footage of them, but this youtube clip definitely captures the atmosphere of their concerts and the East European spirit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pDlu1oPjHI