The members:
The Troubadours are Michael Blaszkiewicz from Redford on guitar, David Cocagne from Ferndale on guitar, Taylor’s Sean Bondareff on fretless bass and drummer Jason Pearce of St. Clair Shores.
The history:
Unique to the Detroit scene, The Troubadours initially formed as a classical guitar duet featuring Blaszkiewicz and Cocagne, who were studying together at Wayne State University. Early on, the pair won the university’s concerto competition, even performing in Canada and England before each member graduated with a classical guitar performance master’s degree.
As the pair continued to expand their repertoire with original compositions and arrangements, Bondareff and Pearce were added to enhance The Troubadours’ sound, a move creating fresh musical directions for the group, including ethnic and traditional rhythms.
What's up with the name:
“We wanted something that would reflect the music we were doing,” said Bondareff. “We play folk and jazz, not metal, and it seemed to capture the essence of our sound without being too exotic or narrow.”
The style:
Drawing on a variety of influences, including world beat, rock, classical and flamenco, The Troubadours aim to make their own inimitable musical statement.
“Our favorite influences include Buena Vista Social Club, Struntz and Farrah, and the too-numerous jazz and flamenco guitarists that could fill this entire page,” said Bondareff. “Some folks say we remind them of Gypsy Kings.”
Got anything recorded?
The Troubadours debuted with an eponymous release in 2001, and their latest work is 2004’s Danzas Urbanas — both discs are available at Dearborn Music and Flipside Record, as well as www.cdbaby.com.
To inquire about these albums, or for song clips, visit the band’s official Web site at www.thetroubadours.org.
Tell us your future?
“We are headed to Chicago as finalists in the Midwest Independent Music World Series (to) compete in front of industry folks who will judge us against five other bands for prizes,” Bondareff said. “With the next record will come another onslaught of gigs and whatnots.
Website:
www.thetroubadours.org
