Read Faith Jessel’s review of Nadya’s 101 Candles Orkestra at Django Bar, Marrickville, blending Balkan, Romani, jazz and Eastern European sounds.
Following the Camel to Django
I had probably driven past Camelot Lounge in Marrickville countless times without ever really registering it. That was unlikely to happen again. Once you spot the giant camel perched high on the corner of Marrickville Road and Illawarra Road, it is rather difficult to miss. An unlikely landmark, but an effective one. Following the camel leads you somewhere quite different from the busy streets outside.
Camelot Lounge is more than a single performance room, with a programme spanning jazz, world music, cabaret and cover bands. Upstairs has its own larger-scale character, while Django Bar, downstairs, is the smaller, darker sibling. Low ceilings, small tables and bench seating close to the performance area, warm pools of light from mismatched vintage lamps, ornate mirrors and poster artwork give the room the feel of a Parisian cellar club.
You know a lounge has got something going for it when it passes what I call the “Margarita Cocktail Test”. As a lifelong pursuer of the perfect margarita, I take the responsibility very seriously. Camelot Lounge gets off to a very good start, serving an excellent concoction alongside homemade pizzas that make arriving early on a Friday night feel like a particularly sensible decision.
But the main event is the music, and Nadya Golski’s 101 Candles Orkestra gives the evening plenty of momentum.
Beyond Jazz: A Balkan Beat
Forget trying to pin 101 Candles Orkestra down to a single genre. Gypsy swing, Balkan and Romani folk traditions, Eastern European music, French chanson and cabaret all find a place in a sound that shifts from intricate melodies to rhythms that get the room moving. Tracks like Opa Cupa, Pudela Caje and the high-energy Saban Swing have an energy that is impossible to contain, with the music changing direction within a few bars. Even when the ensemble moves into slower continental repertoire, like the dramatic Naci en Alamo or the driving Italian folk anthem Bella Ciao, the shifts in texture remain immediate.
At the centre is Nadya Golski’s smoky contralto, a voice with the range and force to move between moods without losing its character. An established presence on the Sydney music scene, Golski draws on years of collaboration with Romani musicians in Europe, bringing those influences into the ensemble’s evolving sound. In Django, 101 Candles Orkestra makes that exchange part of the music itself.
Part of the pleasure lies in watching the musicians respond to one another. The mandolin’s bright, nimble picking cuts through the ensemble, while punchy bursts from the trumpet and trombone lift the energy. Electric guitar and keyboards add modern layers, with the cajón maintaining a rhythmic pulse beneath the faster numbers. The musicians exchange phrases almost as if they are having a conversation, each instrument picking up an idea and carrying it somewhere new. Django’s intimate setting suits this music particularly well.
From the Stage to the Dance Floor
The audience adds its own flavour to the evening. Alongside devoted fans and regular followers who clearly know Nadya and the repertoire, others get the chance to discover 101 Candles Orkestra’s distinctive blend of Balkan, Romani and Eastern European music. As the tempo builds, the room becomes less like a seated show and more like a folk party, with people singing along, calling out and getting up to dance. You don’t need to know the songs to join in the fun.
A regular presence at Inner West venues, Nadya Golski brings musical traditions with deep roots into Sydney’s home-grown live-music scene. With 101 Candles Orkestra, she keeps these traditions alive through performance, adaptation and the sheer pleasure of sharing this wonderful music. For anyone who enjoys music that crosses genres, brings people together and makes sitting still increasingly difficult, 101 Candles Orkestra is well worth seeking out. And the margarita? That may well have secured my loyalty!
Review by: Faith Jessel