AmoRRomA is the brainchild of Jowan Merckx, who is very much at home in early music and in traditional European dance music ‘balfolk’. In his work he is exploring new grounds trying to bring together the best of both worlds. The result of this craftmanship is a kind of gentle ‘chamber music’ you can dance to, songs to dance to and dances to sing to, well crafted melodies that cling to your ears. The music has touches of the past and still sounds new; it’s wonderfully melancholic dance music that has a place on the concert stage as well.
As an octet, AmoRRoma gives concert performances of the triple album Carrousel (Munich Records, 2011), featuring a stunning line-up of first class folk musicians from Belgium. The regular quartet members Elly Aerden (vocals) and Vincent Noiret (double bass) are joined by Luc Pilartz on fiddle, Tristan Driessens on oud, Toon Van Mierlo on uillean pipes, French bagpipes, diatonic accordion and clarinet, and Maarten Decombel on mandola and guitar. This amazing combination gives a wonderful variety of musical colours and allows for great expression.
AmoRRoma Duo: Sarah Ridy: harp (arpa doppia), Jowan Merckx: whistles and recorders, flugelhorn, high bagpipes of Central France in G & A and low one in D, gaïta, percussion, carillon, and vocals.
AmoRRoma Octet: Elly Aerden: vocals, Vincent Noiret: double bass, Toon Van Mierlo: diatonic button accordeon, uillean pipes, low bagpipes of Central France in C and D, clarinet, Maarten Decombel: mandola, bouzouki, guitar and vocals, Tristan Driessens: Turkish ‘ûd, Luc Pilartz: violin
