Monsieur Camembert

...a brazen and intoxicating blend of jazz, gypsy swing, Latin & East European influences! (The Age, 2005)

If I had to summarise the immense appeal of this group, it is their subtle quirkiness and sense of surprise they engender...you could groove to them all night...
(Diaspora Magazine)

Gloriously melodramatic, extraordinary musical prowess [and] breathless panache… ensemble playing at it’s finest... (Drum Media Magazine)
…a winning tongue-in-cheek insouciance that is instantly intoxicating and highly infectious (The Adelaide Review)

With a vibrant, contemporary edge, triple ARIA Award winning group Monsieur Camembert has been described as eclectic, virtuosic, theatrical and irreverent. Fusing the wild rhythms of Eastern Europe with tango and Latin music, swing, jazz, klezmer, tarantella and French Musette, Monsieur Camembert’s shows have become synonymous with an atmosphere of celebration and spontaneity. This is gutsy, emotive and irresistibly danceable music, played with originality, virtuosity, sensuality and flair.
The most successful world music band in Australian music history, the core group has been performing for more than seven years and has gained a wide audience at a range of events, including national and international music festivals, concert halls, various performing arts and jazz venues, including the Sydney Opera House, The Basement and the Art Gallery of NSW and celebrity weddings. In 2000, they were a featured act at the Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony and were broadcast on ABC Radio National's live concert series: “Live On Stage” three times.

Performances over the past few years have included the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, three sell-out concerts in Paris, WOMADelaide in South Australia and Woodford in Queensland, Port Fairy Festival, Brunswick Music Festival, Ohel Leah’s Centenary celebrations in Hong Kong, St Kilda Festival in Melbourne and Bellingen Global Carnival. The group has also devised a full-length show Just a Gigolo based on the life and music of Louis Prima, which played to sell-out audiences in Sydney and the Gold Coast. In 2003, they released their third CD, Absynthe, which has now been on the Australian Jazz Charts for a record-breaking 105 Weeks, after more than 6 months at the No.1 position. Absynthe won an ARIA AWARD for Best World Music album. This followed on from their 2002 win in the same category for their Live on Stage CD.

2005 highlights have included a Best World Music Album ARIA for their new double self-titled CD Monsieur Camembert, performances at the Mosaic Festival in Singapore, the Toyota Muster in Queensland, headlining the Cygnet Festival in Tasmania, and the Sydney premiere of a Leonard Cohen tribute show. Plans for 2006 include recording, national touring, festival appearances throughout Australia, performances in New Zealand and a follow up European tour.
Monsieur Camembert is:
Yaron Hallis - Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Edouard Bronson - Saxes/Clarinet/Flute
Marcello Maio - Accordion/Piano
Santiago - Lead Guitar
Mark Harris - Double BassJess Ciampa - Percussion

Guest Artists:
Anatoli Torjinski - 5 String Cello/Balalaika
Daniel Weltlinger - Violin
Julian Curwin - Lead Guitar
Shenzo Gregorio - ViolinVladimir Khusid - Trumpet/Flugelhorn
Svetlana Bunic - Accordion