MOSÏK manouche

About Us

Music with an O

MOSÏK manouche plays Gypsy Swing and moustache jazz, guided by the ideas of the forgotten music philosopher Trude Tulpenthal. She described her sonic ideal as “music with an O from a mosaic without an A.” MOSÏK manouche takes this credo as its guiding principle, seeking to embrace it as a whole.

The project began as a duo: “Mademoiselle Klarinet,” Susann Stephan, and “Monsieur Gitar,” Romain Trudeau.

Since Tulpenthal’s favourite instruments included the “Basso” and the “Drummel,” MOSÏK manouche now most often performs as a trio or quartet.

For “the full blast,” the band sometimes calls on special guests, playing perfectly ordinary instruments such as the “Violino,” “Armonika,” or another “Gitar.”

In all these “brilliant line-ups,” MOSÏK manouche follows Tulpenthal’s wish for “world music jazz for people who love or hate jazz”—the rest, after all, “don’t care anyway.”

MOSÏK manouche is also shaped by Tulpenthal’s lifelong, rather earthy attitude towards “jazz fuss and ethnic schlager.” Beyond academia and the label lobby, their path begins at the “origin of all musical understanding between peoples”: Musique Manouche, or Gypsy Jazz.

In this distinctive space between art music and folk music, MOSÏK improvises freely and spontaneously on “swinging, kindred, vaguely familiar treasures from the gypsy moustache.”

The result is MOSÏK manouche “à la Django”: raw and bold, never watered down—nothing canned, and certainly nothing for a museum. Uncommonly mosïkalisch, sometimes even more than captivating—so prick up your ears and listen!

About Us

Music with an O

MOSÏK manouche plays Gypsy Swing and moustache jazz, guided by the ideas of the forgotten music philosopher Trude Tulpenthal. She described her sonic ideal as “music with an O from a mosaic without an A.” MOSÏK manouche takes this credo as its guiding principle, seeking to embrace it as a whole.

The project began as a duo: “Mademoiselle Klarinet,” Susann Stephan, and “Monsieur Gitar,” Romain Trudeau.

Since Tulpenthal’s favourite instruments included the “Basso” and the “Drummel,” MOSÏK manouche now most often performs as a trio or quartet.

For “the full blast,” the band sometimes calls on special guests, playing perfectly ordinary instruments such as the “Violino,” “Armonika,” or another “Gitar.”

In all these “brilliant line-ups,” MOSÏK manouche follows Tulpenthal’s wish for “world music jazz for people who love or hate jazz”—the rest, after all, “don’t care anyway.”

MOSÏK manouche is also shaped by Tulpenthal’s lifelong, rather earthy attitude towards “jazz fuss and ethnic schlager.” Beyond academia and the label lobby, their path begins at the “origin of all musical understanding between peoples”: Musique Manouche, or Gypsy Jazz.

In this distinctive space between art music and folk music, MOSÏK improvises freely and spontaneously on “swinging, kindred, vaguely familiar treasures from the gypsy moustache.”

The result is MOSÏK manouche “à la Django”: raw and bold, never watered down—nothing canned, and certainly nothing for a museum. Uncommonly mosïkalisch, sometimes even more than captivating—so prick up your ears and listen!

Possibilities

The sound of MOSÏK

MOSÏK manouche is versatile and adaptable. In both small and large line-ups, the band serves up a feast for the ears, gets people dancing, or creates a musical atmosphere (musique d’ameublement).

Following the example of the Gypsy Jazz so admired by Tulpenthal, MOSÏK manouche weaves European, Middle Eastern, Afro-American, and Latin American influences into a shimmering tapestry of sound. At every performance, the band ties its threads together anew—always driven by a mosïkalisch pulse that takes the shortest route to the heart.

At their concerts, MOSÏK manouche stirs the very emotions Trude Tulpenthal observed in audiences listening to Jazz Manouche: “Earlobes twitch, jaws drop, and gypsy moustaches start to wobble!” In Tulpenthal’s honour, alongside performances further afield, MOSÏK manouche regularly plays at the Goldene Rose in Halle an der Saale, where the music philosopher lived until her death. For anyone who wants to hear MOSÏK manouche at the source of its inspiration and experience the search for Tulpenthal’s ideal sound up close, it’s “Welcome to the Gypsy Jazz Klub!”

MOSÏK manouche also receives a growing number of invitations to private celebrations. Weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, family gatherings, and private parties have become familiar territory for these well-travelled Mosïkers. In this intimate setting, MOSÏK manouche can let its music unfold and connect directly with its listeners.

MOSÏK manouche can also add a special touch to corporate events. The band has what it takes not only to give an event that certain something, but to create a unique moment that guests and hosts will remember fondly for years to come.

FAQ

Mosïk to my ears

Klarinet, Gitar, Basso, Drummel—what kind of instruments are those?

These quirky names refer to perfectly ordinary instruments and come from Trude Tulpenthal’s mixed-up dialect. In English, they are: Klarinet—clarinet, Gitar—guitar, Basso—double bass, Drummel—drums or percussion, Armonika—accordion, Violino—violin, and Saxo—saxophone. When referring to the musicians, Tulpenthal liked to put Mademoiselle or Monsieur before the instrument’s name.

How long have you been making music together?

Susann and Romain have played together as a duo since 2005. They have regularly performed as a quartet with double bass and drums since 2011. Over the years, other line-ups have also taken shape, including accordion, violin, and vocals. Some of those musicians still join us as guest Mosïkers.

Do you play at private events, too?

Yes, we’d love to! It’s wonderful to create musical moments that hosts and guests remember fondly for years. We often meet our hosts again—when we play at one of their friends’ celebrations…

I live a long way away. Can you still come?

Our past venues have been as varied as the MOSÏK we play. From a Swiss mountain chalet to a tiny island in the North Sea, we’ve played in all sorts of wonderful places: a garden near Cologne, a street festival in Nuremberg, a greenhouse in the Black Forest, a bar in Berlin, a castle in Brandenburg, Leipzig Airport, and regularly at the oldest inn in Halle (Saale). In short: yes—if you’d like to hear us, we’ll come to you!

What do you need at the venue?

Since we don’t play to backing tracks, we definitely won’t need a can opener. We bring our own sound equipment, and for smaller events we can also play “unplugged,” purely acoustically without amplification. We don’t need a stage, but please allow at least 1.5 m² of space per Mosïker. Depending on the line-up, we’ll need one to three armless chairs and a power outlet nearby. We can provide a technical rider for larger stages and concert organisers.

How much does MOSÏK cost?

MOSÏK manouche is free, but not for free. We live to make mosïk and make mosïk to live. Every performance and event is unique, and we treat it that way. That’s why we like to talk things through with you first, then prepare a quote based on the details. Just get in touch!