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Carute (kah-root-say) Roma is a high-energy Southwest Colorado-based Roma music band who combines classic Roma songs with unique original tunes. Fiddle, accordion, and trumpet are backed by guitar, bass, and drums - while led by vocal harmonies in six different languages. Carute Roma plays special events of all kinds in the Four Corners area and will happily load up their 'gypsy wagon' to bring their diverse sound to festivals, weddings, and parties farther down the road. From grandparents to toddlers, we make everyone dance.
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Brian Arens, aka "Floyd Pepper", Guitar
Brian Arens, AKA Floyd Pepper, was raised by a group of nomadic puppets who travelled from town to town in a hand crafted wagon, earning their keep by performing for the local townsfolk. After realizing at a young age that Floyd had virtually no talent at performing what-so-ever, his tough love puppet family locked him in the wagon for a year straight with nothing but a guitar and a collection of Elvis records. He's been rockin' ever since. |
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Nicole Carey, Trumpet & Lead Vocals
She started quietly at the back of the stage, shy and with no trumpet parts laid out and over the span of 14 years has progressed to writing songs and singing front and center. A musical evolution not possible without her gadjo compañeros. Nicole brings her appreciation of cultures, language and improvisation to the group's sound and loves to make people dance and smile. |
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Robert Aspen, aka "Polka Bob", Accordion
Polka Bob is a second-generation accordion player from the southern shores of Lake Michigan (aka Chicago). He started playing with the band in 2004 when Michael gave him his mom's accordion (thanks, Michael's Mom!). He is currently working on learning some popular Slavic tunes to add to the repertoire. Polka likes the boom-cha, oh yah! |
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David Sachs, Drums
Best damn Gypsy Drummer in the world!! |
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Jon Broholm, Upright Bass
Jon Broholm is a longtime Durango resident, who has been holding down the low end for Carute Roma since 2014. Jon felt good about his conversational Spanish until he was confronted with Gypsy music in three other languages, and realized he rarely has any idea what his band is singing about. |
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Lisa Sumi, Accordion Lisa grew up in Canada, playing piano and singing in choirs. During a stint in the southeast US she was exposed to Cajun and Zydeco music, and had an 'aha' moment: "those music boxes are much smaller than a piano, and much easier to cart around." So she bought one, and it accompanied her to the Yukon, Vancouver Island and, finally, Durango. She was invited to sit in with Carute Roma when Polka Bob spent a year in the Czech Republic. The band's been stuck with her ever since. Michael Rendon, Violin
Michael learned how to play violin living in a tipi on 36 acres next to the La Plata River. He then carried his violin on a sailboat across the Atlantic for a summer of Roma music festivals through Eastern Europe, and now lives in a small house in Durango next to a gas station and pizza joint. When not playing music, Michael can be found gardening, backpacking, or running for public office. |
Assunda "Sunny" Phillips Gable, Violin
Hannah Burnett, Violin
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Alexii Carey, Bass Brian Lock, Mandolin
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