17 Hippies

Berlin has emerged as one of the great contemporary melting pots and 17 Hippies are surely the finest of Berlin band of the moment. They aren't hippies and there is only (!) 13 of them in their current line-up - double bass, banjo, ukulele and guitar give the rhythmic base, the melodious pattern is supplied by violins, cello, accordion, clarinet trombone and trumpet and there's not a single piece of percussion in sight.

They have created a unique musical style by colliding a variety of mostly European influences, from Gypsy dance to French chanson and German cabaret, with just a hint of anything from ragtime to country to early pop. From Algiers to Albuquerque, Berlin to Bloomington and Canton to Cantabria the unstoppable 17 Hippies bandwagon rolls on relentlessly, leaving crowds breathless but still wanting more.

Summer 2009 saw ecstatic festival crowds from WOMAD to Larmer Tree punching the air and singing in unison to their whirling, crashing, diving, bobbing and weaving collision of musical styles, adding the UK to the list of over 25 countries to be mesmerised by these first rate globalists. This 13 strong “Rock the World” orchestral phenomenon are driven by boundless energy and razor-sharp interplay. The freshest, fastest, funniest dance band to hit the UK festival scene in years.

"If you ask me to name my favourite band in the world at the moment, it would be a tie, between Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba, from Mali, and the 17 Hippies, from Berlin." Charlie Gillett,BBC Radio presenter.

 "...this Berlin troupe has matured into something special; an orchestral phantasmagoria that slides between Balkan rhythms, French chanson, Weimar cabaret...great fun. The Observer 

Upcoming Appearances

20th Feb 2011 - Coastival, Scarborough