About Monsieur Camembert

Monsieur Camembert is a passionate group of musicians devoted to the pursuit of boundless musical expression. With a unique fusion of gypsy, klezmer, classical and jazz elements, their vibrant music takes its rhythmic foundation with a Hot Club gypsy guitar strum, a swinging double bass and pumping accordion over which clarinet, sax, flute, trumpet & lead guitar take their unbridled leads. The brilliant tonality of this ‘orchestra’ of sorts also serves to create an evocative setting for narrative vocalisation.

With a continental repertoire that combines traditional French, Hungarian, Russian, Greek, and Jewish musics with sophisticated and contemporary arrangements, they also perform an engaging collection of original songs composed by lead vocalist, and group leader, Yaron Hallis.

The music of Monsieur Camembert is gutsy and gracious, exhilarating and irresistibly danceable. Indeed, they perform a new style of music which transcends barriers, generations and subcultures. Theirs is a gutsy and emotive music with plenty of twists and turns. The synthesis of the passionate energy of gypsy musics with classical, jazz and blues idioms combine in unpredictable results - the musical contrasts give way to both lugubrious expressiveness and ear-prickling virtuosity.

The music of Monsieur Camembert ensnares its audience, provoking them to unexpected nostalgia and revelry!

On 11/2/99, Monsieur Camembert launched The Gypsy Hot Club, Sydney's 1st Gypsy/klezmer music-club, at which the band regularly appears...

"..the Gypsy Hot Club is steadily establishing itself as a Sydney cultural institution" (Australian Jewish News, 9/4/99)