manele | [Burdel Dali Presents]

Raphlex + Mishto + Aisle Violator join forces for a formidable Bosnian-Romanian-AQP music revolution! Thursday night, leave the worries of the mediocre world behind for some wild dance floor action and strongggg drinks.

BALKAN LATIN SOUTH EAST ASIAN WORLD WIDE IMMIGRANT ANTHEMS FOR GLOBAL CITIZENS!

Free entry, $5 rakia shots, people from countries you cannot pronounce! Get some! Yuri Yunakov & The Grand Masters of Gypsy Music live from 10:30PM – 12:30AM. Mehanata Bulgarian Bar, 113 Ludlow St. (btw Delancey + Rivington).

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In recent news…!

The Kočani Orkestar came to NYC and we partied with them on Monday night (nothing unusual about Monday night shindigs here in NYC but this one was extra special!), from the rooftops of Chelsea to Mehanata’s party bus, and then finally on the dance floor of the infamous Bulgarian Bar itself. These guys are so laid back and awesome. They were playing with balloons and cracking jokes and even teaching us some moves. Obviously, legendary musicians and it was an honor to hang with them. See all of the photos from that night here and check out some of our favorites below.

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The final video will be out in a couple of weeks and it features aerialist Seanna Sharpe conducting a few death-defying moves on the 16th floor balcony of a hotel, local artist & bohemian soul Syrie Moskowitz, our very own Raphlex and plenty of other characters.

Side note: Mishka styled some lovely lady dancers for the video we shot with the band, featuring pieces from her new line Bombay Mermaid Trading Co—check it out.

SEE YOU TOMORROW NIGHT ON THE DANCE FLOOR!

Our Romanian homeboy Ionut Cercel, the 14-year-old idol responsible for the song we dance to three nights a week at Mehanata, has a feature and interview in VICE. Article below:

Ionut Cercel is the Justin Bieber of manele, a genre of Romanian music that can best be described as a questionable combination of Gypsy folk and modern dance pop. He is 14 years old, has five solo albums under his belt, and is the subject of dozens of fan-created Facebook pages.

All of this while dressing like a 45-year-old Vegas lounge singer (which, unsurprisingly, is a popular style in Romania). Recently, his brother started a clothing label under Ionut ’s name. Its target demographic? “Posh people.” I met Ionut for a coffee at a gas station—a place he “felt comfortable”—where he told me more about his style and I had a hard time resisting making jokes about coffee and Ionuts.

VICE: How do you select your clothes?

Ionut Cercel: Clothes are the only thing I spend a long time thinking about. I am very picky. I usually choose a suit, together with a shirt and a tie, depending on how they match and on my mood. I’ve liked wearing matching items since I was little. It makes people respect me, and it also shows I respect myself. If you are a serious kid, you don’t like to dress casual.

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How would you categorize the items in your wardrobe?

Stage costumes, school outfits, TV-show outfits, and accessories. I have about ten hats and 20 pairs of glasses. I like the round ones from Ray-Ban, because they cover up my face when I’m tired. I always wear this chainlet I got as a present from a Brazilian guy who owns a disco in Greece. I have to alter the watches I buy, because I have small wrists. When I want to look older, I wear a tie.

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What is the difference between your stage and school outfits?

The stage outfits are more serious—very elegant and expensive. The school clothes are classical. Everybody knows who I am at school; I don’t need to show off. But I have to look good onstage, because that’s what my fans care about. I dress quite posh.

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What does “posh” mean to you?

Fashionable. Clothes should show your best features. If it’s cheap, but I like how it looks, price doesn’t matter. Still, I feel expensive clothes fit you better. The shirt doesn’t need to have cufflinks, but it has to have a hard collar. I prefer fitted clothes; I don’t like clothes to hang about me.

See the article here.