Gypsies perform and travel from one place to another all over Europe. However, they have such a fascinating culture which lingers in places they have visited.
Last May 30, at SM Cinema 1, people got a sample of that culture through the Ferrè Brothers’ stellar interpretation of Gypsy Jazz.
The Ferrè brothers, Boulou and Elios, have wowed audiences around the world with their authentic guitar style. And it was no different when they performed here in Cebu. With fingers so fast you’d think one of the strings would snap, the Ferrè Brother’s style of music was both unpredictable and serene that every once in a while the audience would applaud or clap their hands along with the music, whenever there was a change of arrangements.
Another thing that endeared the audience to the performance was the camaraderie between the two brothers. It was apparent that there was no competition between the two of them, only profound respect for each other. Both were also very perceptive of the audience. At one point, the audience clapped at Boulou’s solo performance and when the applause almost died, he simply waved his hands upward to encourage a stronger applause, which the audience happily obliged.
Boulou learned to play the guitar at the early age of seven and started performing at eight, with Elios closely following his older brother’s footsteps. Most of their musical influence comes from the legendary Django Reinhardt – a pioneer of Gypsy Jazz who can astonishingly produce chords with only two fingers. The Ferrè family (formerly known as Ferret) was a gypsy family, who finally settled in France in the first half of the 21st century. Gypsy culture encourages children to excel in music, which also explains their effortless style of guitar playing.
True gypsies, the Ferrè Brothers surely left a mark in the hearts of Cebuanos after their all-too-brief visit.