While there is no denying the reggae and ska influences in their music, there's another flavour that comes through loud and clear as well. The sound of the Balkans can be heard in the way they use the brass section of the band. Anyone who has listened to any of the gypsy brass bands from Romania will recognize their influence on Babylon Circus. While the idea of mixing the deep bass groove of reggae with the express train of a gypsy brass band might sound odd to some, the effect has to be heard to be believed.
Not only are they musically exciting but their lyrics, at least the ones in English that I could understand, are compelling and intelligent. The first song on the disc, "Contra La Guerra: Greva General!" (Against The War: General Greva) starts off with the sounds of the anti-war demonstration in Spain that brought two million people into the streets to protest the war in Iraq. At the onset of the current Gulf War, a conservative government in Spain had supplied troops as part of the occupying force against the express wishes of the people. It was demonstrations like this one that ensured that government lost the next election and the new government brought the Spanish troops home.
No matter how much the American administration wanted to bluster about Spain giving in to terrorists, the truth of the matter was that the people of Spain were against the war from the start, as was proven by demonstrations of that size. Celebrating that demonstration in song is a celebration of the power a population can have for positive change when they come together and speak with one voice. By incorporating the sound of the people at the demonstration chanting the words of the title into the song, the band manages to capture the spirit of the event and transmit it to the listener. They've done such an effective job that it's impossible not to be caught up in the moment. If you close your eyes while listening, you can almost believe that you are there in amongst the people.
The music of Dances Of Resistance isn't just about the big events in the world. There're songs about our individual struggles as well. "J'aurais bien voulu" ( "I Would Have Liked") is about a man's regrets and desperation from what must be unrequited love. "My Friend" is a driving guitar song in honour of friendship, and what that can truly mean. In some ways it raises questions about the nature of friendship because the music is so frenetic, but at the same time it avows that "this song is for you because you are such a good man". (At least as near as I can tell because sometimes it is hard to understand the vocalist's English. When he gets excited his accent becomes very thick and I lost the occasional word).
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