فرقة

Germi Riess - Trompete, Flügelhorn,
Alexander Valnov - trumpet
Michal Tomaszewski - clarinet, el. kalimba,
Richard Ebert – tenor sax, flute
Julian Loehr – alto and baritone sax
Martin Schulze - trombone
Johannes Gries – baritone horn
Alfred Haberkorn - helicone
Peter Birkenhauer - sousaphone
Arne Müller – snare drum
Sven Seifert – bass drum
Felix Korte - trombone

-How did the idea of "Banda Comunale" start?
Actually it started in about 2001, when huge Nazi-Demonstrations started to dominate the remembering date of bombing Dresden on the 13th of February (1945). Every year more and more neo-nazis started visiting the city on this date and it became well known for the biggest neo-nazi gatherings in Europe in these years. So some friends decided to found a brass band to join the anti-demonstrations and add better vibes to the sad circumstances. Most of them still play in the band… including me (Michal)

-Why did you choose this name “Banda Comunale” for the band ?
The name came from Johannes, whose wife is from Italy. There the village-bands that play at every important occasion are called Banda Comunale...so it was meant also a little ironical, because we pretend to play as an official, communal band. Even now the name fits very well...better would only be something like "the State Police Orchestra".

-After some time the activities of Banda Comunale went beyond just playing in anti-nazi demonstrations. Is that right ?
Of course we didn´t only play demonstrations, but became popular on weddings, parties and outdoor-celebrities. We play something like 30 gigs a year...and mostly in Dresden or around. The motivation to play in public against nazis is so on one hand our job and long-year experience, on the other hand of course our conviction that nazis are assholes and that we never want them to dominate our live or threaten our friends.
- Not all of you are Germans, for example Michal is originally Polish, so does that play any role in the ideology ,so to speak, behind your activities?
Alexander, Germi and me have foreign roots, half of the band is not from Dresden and all of us have family, relatives or friends who are foreigners. Our vision is a borderless Europe...or a world without religious, sexual, racial or other discrimination. And the place, where you can mostly find freedom, understanding and equality is of course music. We listen to music from all over the world, all genres...but it must be good music. And of course we try to play it too.

- When I listened to your music I couldn’t help but notice that you don’t play German folk music. Why is that ?
It would take too long to explain, why we don´t play German folk music. But maybe this is enough: we don´t really like it or just because we never tried.

- You are currently having a great project as "Banda Internationale", would you tell us more about it ?
We want to invite new musicians, that maybe had to leave their home, to join us for a while and have fun with making some crazy music. And we want everybody to try out playing the music of the other...as we do for years now. New Instruments and even more important: absolutely new people can add a lot to our music...new sounds, new rhythms, melodies...played by people who originally are home with them. But personally for me (Michal) the most important aim is to open the magic of our great band for others for some time. Because we are long-year friends. Sometimes we even don´t play any note at a rehearsal but drink beer, smoke cigarettes and talk about family, kids, politics...everything. In a way, it is also a kind of family...

- As a long-time brass band, what challenges you think you may encounter with new instruments that Banda Internatoinale may bring?
For some people, especially our professional jazz-guys, it should be nothing new...but there are differences and prejudices among audience and musicians, that we want to work on. This is the plan. Of course, we are a brass band...and this is our strength...especially on the street. But for some months we want to integrate new instruments and people and are looking forward to experience what will happen.

- How many albums did you record? Would you tell us about your music and the atmosphere you put into it?
We have recorded 3 albums in 15 years...this is not very much, but we are not really studio-musicians. So every recording session is a compromise...me for example...I´m a really bad player. But there are very good musicians also...we are not on the same level....but on the street it doesn´t matter that much. On these albums there is music from many parts of the world´s musical heritage...there is a lot of Balkan music, jewish Klezmer tunes, oriental, jazz, ska, afro-beat, funk, reggae...and of course CUMBIA...the Colombian dance music we love a lot.

- What would you like to say (or is there anything you would like to say) to the Arab readers who are reading this interview?
We would like to greet, first, readers and musicians from the Arab world...and want to say, that we are very happy, to have met these crazy Arab guys here in Dresden that now are making beautiful music with us. We will take care of them! We love Arab music and have great respect to the diversity and richness of its countless forms...and we are looking forward to experience more of it on our instruments! We invite everybody to follow our project on Facebook and maybe, hopefully, one day we will visit your city with the Banda Internationale! Ahlan Wa Sahlan!

List of “Banda Comunale” musicians:
Germi Riess - Trompete, Flügelhorn,
Alexander Valnov - trumpet
Michal Tomaszewski - clarinet, el. kalimba,
Richard Ebert – tenor sax, flute
Julian Loehr – alto and baritone sax
Martin Schulze - trombone
Johannes Gries – baritone horn
Alfred Haberkorn - helicone
Peter Birkenhauer - sousaphone
Arne Müller – snare drum
Sven Seifert – bass drum
Felix Korte - trombone

Banda Comunale officia website:
هنا
Facebook page: هنا