BOOKING

Malaka Music
4509 Interlake Ave N #308
Seattle, WA 98103
425-417-1383
contact@cotrmusic.com


group bio

"When you go to a Children of the Revolution show, you might as well leave your preconceptions about world music at the door" wrote Tina Potterf of the Seattle Times. Fans will usually say something like, "That was the best live show Ive ever been to; I don't quite know how to describe it." From Bozeman Montana to the caves of Granada, Spain, from Istanbul to Taiwan, COTR make life-long fans wherever they go.

They can loosely be compared to such breakaway and high-energy world music artists such as Ozomatli, Gipsy Kings, Santana, Manu Chau and the Afro Celt Sound System, but all similarities stop there. Made up of virtuoso musicians, singers and dancers from around the world, COTR blend their Flamenco, Greek, and Rock roots creating, a lush and melodic sound driven by infectious Latin and Middle-Eastern grooves.

The group is fronted by lead singer Vassili, who grew up on the Greek Islands, and former metal head turned flamenco guitarist Eric Jaeger. Sharing the spotlight is Barcelona-born flamenco dancer Encarnación. Their electrifying and sexy concerts showcase outstanding musicianship and songwriting with world-class dance performances. Both world music aficionados and those new to the genre agree - COTR puts on one of the most unifying and entertaining shows in the world.

Guest artists both live and recorded have included legendary rock singer, Ann Wilson of Heart, Afro Celt drummer Johnnie Kalsi, Maktub soul/rock singer Reggie Watts, former Queensrÿche guitarist Chris DeGarmo, Venezuelan punk/folk singer Yva LasVegass, and Cirque de Soliel vocalist, Beth Quist.

In less than two years, COTR went from playing small clubs to filling some of the Northwests most prestigious theaters such as Meany Hall, Benaroya Hall and the 3,000-seat Paramount Theater.

COTR is a consistent audience favorite of major festivals in the region such as Folklife, Vancouver Folk Festival, Bumbershoot and Montanas Sweetpea Festival, 3-6,000 people can be seen dancing and singing at these shows. Eleftheria (the Greek word for freedom) is their anthem that ends the show and ALWAYS gets the crowd jumping in unison!

COTR have the achievements, experience and systems in place to create a totally new movement in popular music. They have toured extensively through the Northwest and Canada and have been invited to perform at very special historical events such as; the first Western band invited to play for the Buddhas Birthday in Taiwan for over 30,000 people, the Government Leaders conference (organized by Bill Gates and Paul G. Allen) in Seattle at Experience Music Project, opening for former President Bill Clinton at his "We the People" speech in Seattle in 2006, and KROCKs 2005 Tsunami Relief benefit concert headlined by surviving members of Alice in Chains and Heart. COTRs concert DVD has aired on numerous PBS stations across the country and select tracks from their album, Liberation appear on Putumayo Records compilations.

After spending five months in Europe where they performed and studied with Flamenco masters in Spain, Rye singers in Morocco and Turkish musicians in Istanbul, COTR returned to record their latest CD, Life, Love and Guantanamo Bay. The album is an artistic breakthrough for Children of the Revolution and promises to bring them into the international spotlight.

We play the music that we love, the music of our homelands. We play with the hope that all revolutions could be musical ones. - Children of the Revolution


reviews

Seattle PI- CD release Concert review 6-30-03

Queen Anne News- CD release Concert review 7-02-03

Global Rhythm Magazine Review of "Chapter One" and "Keep Holding On"

allmusic.com review of new CD "Liberation"

"With their blend of tradition and modernity and
exciting fusion of Spanish flamenco, Greek rembetiko,
Latin salsa, sophisticated pop and other diverse
flavors, Children of the Revolution is proving to be
one of the most original and accomplished bands in the
U.S. today and represent the future of popular music. "
Jacob Edgar, VP of A&R, Putumayo World Music

"With a distinctive talent to embrace, intertwine and intricately weave musical styles from the Middle East, Greece, Spain, South America and the West, both individually and all at once, this Seattle-based group draws from widely-varied pockets of the world with band members so diverse as a Venezuelan folk singer, a colorful Broadway violinist, a flamenco dancer from Barcelona and the region's top percussion specialists. All of this talent and multi-cultural background culminates with truly a revolutionary sound; one can expect to hear didgeridoo, flamenco styles and doumbek in the same song. Not ignoring the popular music of the radio waves, their accessible sound is as brilliant and inviting as the Gypsy Kings or AfroCelt Soundsystem, but simply doesn't stop there. This is absolutely an incomparable fusion of vision and discipline."
CD Baby on "Liberation"


"An infectious new blend!"
Gene Stout, Seattle Post-Intelligencer


"As good as it gets! For a moment I thought I was in Europe."
Robert Commandy, San Francisco Chronicle


"This group includes artists form six different nations covering all points of the globe, making for a mix unlike any heard before."
Allen Price, Victory Review


"Led by Vassili (lead vocals, Native American flute, guitar, strum stick) and Eric Jaeger (Flamenco guitar, bouzouki, vocals) and joined by nearly a dozen bandmates, Children of the Revolution blend several genres, seeking to create a commingled whole. The Seattle-based ensemble mixes Flamenco, Greek, Middle Eastern, and Native American influences into sound and dance. Describing itself as "the world on one stage," Children of the Revolution was the first-ever Western group to perform in Taiwan, before 30,000 for the Buddha's spiritual birthday. On its eponymous debut, the band performs instrumental and vocal arrangements, sung in Greek, Spanish, and English. "Rumba Athena" blends two strong Mediterranean styles-Greek lyricism with the so-danceable rumba rhythms (now mostly associated with Spain). "Technoflamenco" also derives its core stylings from Iberia, while incorporating Euro-techno textures, reminiscent of some of Ottmar Liebert's tracks. "Yanni Mou" is a heartfelt a cappella piece based on a folk song from the mountains of northern Greece. This album will appeal to fans of groups like the Portuguese ensemble Madredeus; of such rumba flamenco-derived artists as Lara & Reyes, Jesse Cook, Govi and Liebert; and of neo-traditional Native American music."
Robert Kaye, Rhythm Magazine


"An arousing blend of Flamenco guitar, Greek bouzouki, Egyptian and Native American sounds. It's as stirring as the Gypsy Kings!"
The Rocket, Seattle WA