Autodafé
Zvezna 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana
Phone386 (0) 1 505 1035, 386 (0) 31 775 534
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Autodafé are an acoustic band playing a kind of cabaret with elements of drama, poetry recital, and bits of folklore in their performances. Founded in 1994, the band is headed by its founder, front man, lyricist, accordionist, and singer Matjaž Pikalo, who is otherwise also a poet, writer, actor, and playwright. The non-conventional and innovative music they play includes their own songs and also some appropriated evergreens.
Performances and recordings
In 1997 Autodafé released the album Le Voyage Imaginaire, which was then, according to the weekly publication Mladina, proclaimed as one of the best five Slovene albums of the year. In the following years, they recorded soundtracks for a short documentary Portreti z ozadjem [Portraits with a Background] by Amir Muratović and for the film Iz prahu soncnih žarkov [From the Sunray Dust] by Petra Seliškar. Their second album Cinéma Voltaire followed in 2001, again gaining them very positive critics. In 2005, Autodafé recorded another album Grand hotel Evropa, which hasn't been yet released. They also did a cover of a Pankrti song and adapted a poem by Edvard Kocbek to music.
The group has played (and is still playing) frequently throughout Slovenia and has taken part in many public events, especially those connected to poetry and literature. Through the years, they have also had some performances in Italy (for example, the presentation of New Slovene poetry in Genoa, Italy in 2004) and in Belgrade. In 2003 the group expanded to 9 members in order to perform at the Festival of Chanson at the Knights' Hall of Križanke in Ljubljana. Occasionally they also team up with other musicians and have played together with Čompe.
Line-up
Autodafé are: Matjaž Pikalo – poetry, vocals, accordion; Jaka Hawlina – trumpet, baritone, vocals; Andrej Hawlina – violin, rattle, vocals; Luka Ropret – guitar, vocals; Davor Herceg – piano; and Petra Pikalo – bongos, vocals.
- The song "Grebeni" (Reefs) from their 1997 album Le Voyage Imaginaire.
External links
- [
http://www.pesnik-pikalo.si/auto_eng.asp Autodafé website] (in Slovenian)
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