Fugu Dugu with Alfonso Ponticelli
Gypsy music has very deep roots across the world and some amazing bands playing it authentically in Chicago. Two most renowned local gypsy music acts will share the stage just for one night for exclusive “Gypsy Jazz meets Gypsy Punk” night in the renowned Chicago City Winery.
Fugu Dugu is a dynamic female-led Eastern European folk punk & gypsy rock band, drawing inspiration from the landscapes of Moldova, the mountains of Romania, and the railways of Ukraine and Russia, infused with elements of Klezmer and Americana. Often described as a "young female Gogol Bordello”,the band is fronted by Grammy-winning violinist and lead singer Olya Prohorova, along with Chicago singer-songwriter Mark Adkison. Their original music is performed in five languages. Throughout their career, Fugu Dugu has collaborated with and received endorsements from several prominent world music artists. In 2023, they performed with Oleg Skrypka, the "Godfather of Ukrainian rock music," who praised Olya as a "genius violin player." Roman Yagupov, the leader of the legendary Moldovan rock band Zdob Si Zdub, blessed their debut album, Lunatic Parade. In 2024, the band toured the U.S. with world-renowned guitarist Enver Izmaylov as part of the Balkan Music Night Series. Fugu Dugu released their debut album, “Lunatic Parade”, in 2024 and embarked on a tour across 15 U.S. cities, performing at prestigious venues like DROM in NYC, Evanston Space in Chicago, and Middle East in Boston, with audiences of up to 300. They also headlined several world music festivals, including Jetlag in New York, Electric Wonderland in Florida, and Poluostrov in California. Their shows are high-energy events where dancing and singalongs are guaranteed!
After venues closed in 2020, Alfonso Ponticelli toured Chicagoland in a battery-powered Gypsy wagon, performing curbside concerts for homes and businesses. Using a variety of instruments like the mountain dulcimer, violin, bass, and percussion, he looped layers to create a full-band sound. Over time, he invited fellow musicians to join him again. A multi-instrumentalist and 1994 U.S. National Mountain Dulcimer Champion, Ponticelli has collaborated with many traditional folk musicians in Chicago and performed at venues like Millennium Park and the Chicago Symphony Center. He introduced Gypsy jazz to Chicago in the 1990s, teaching at the Old Town School of Folk Music, and has led the annual Chicago Gypsy Jazz Festival for 17 years. In this show, Ponticelli shares his musical journey with live looping and guest musicians, taking the audience on a global musical odyssey.