Sunday 20 April 2014

Nomad: DNA Strings Fringe 2006

The gentle charisma of their leader Adriaan and Dani's fiendish violin captivates the mature audience
FEATURE BY GARETH K VILE.
PUBLISHED 14 AUGUST 2006
The DNA Strings merge Flamenco guitar, Irish fiddle and a distinctive African percussive pulse. They are polished, professional, and display a genuine enthusiasm for the traditions that they plunder, carrying a straightforward set to a frenetic climax through their enthusiasm and proficiency.

When the Spanish flourishes degenerate into soft rock or they attempt to evoke a sentimental and mystical Africa, they can be bland. But the gentle charisma of their leader Adriaan and Dani's fiendish violin captivates the mature audience, keeping hands clapping and feet stomping. When they break into a reel they are passionate and the slower numbers are genuinely moving. Unfortunately, too many of their instrumental tunes bounce along in mid-tempo without finding a challenging groove.

In the plush surrounds of St. Brides, they seem a little out of place- a rowdy bar would be a better venue- but they manage to tease the seated audience into polite excitement. By the end of their set, it is possible to imagine a raw, aggressive band emerging from their mannered fusion of global folk.

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