Schnaftl Ufftschik

"Where are you Schnaftl Ufftschik?" called the girl with the blond pig-tails into the western Siberian forest; all he had to do was wait again for her at the well! She bravely squeezed the water jug closer to her and kept watch for the good natured forest elf. She knew he would protect her while she was fetching water, but more important, had he finally returned? He more than willingly traveled with the Trans-Siberian railway Corrido to far away places to indulge in wonderful varieties of music. In Odessa he experienced an intoxicating wedding party, in the Balkans he learned how to dance in the craziest meters, in Germany the symphonic sound of large orchestras enchanted him. As he - again in the train at 7:40 - from the consistent track noise - schnaftlufftschikschnaftlufftschikschnaftlufftschik - as he fell into a deep sleep, woke up first in Buenos Aires, where he walked half asleep through the morning fog and at the grave of an unknown tango dancer where he marveled at a wondrous melody which moved him deep in his heart. On his adventurous trip back he experienced how diverse and fascinating music can be on every occasion. The pop concert in the Maracanã Stadium in Rio and the samba musicians zest for life, the Reggae session in Jamaica, the pulsing rhythm of Irish music in a Dublin pub - all the sound echoed and remained in his head. Fascinated from these experiences he "verschnafteled" this music, woven with passion and spirit, creating an unbreakable spell. As the girl at the water hole in the forest approached, a pleasurable music sounded driven from irrepressible playfulness. She began to walk faster and faster and her heart jumped for joy. Six different stage productions and five CDs have evolved since the formation of Schnaftl Ufftschik in 1996. 1996 "Musica Vitale" Cultural Music Prize in Berlin and Brandenburg 1997 German Folk Achievement Award TFF Rudolstadt 2001/2003/2006/2009 Studio Prize - Berlin Cultural Senate Reinhard Gundelwein - Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Booking Lutz Wolf - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Vihuela, Compositions and Arrangements Johannes Siedel - Trombone, Bass Trumpet, Sousaphone Stefan Gocht - Sousaphone, Bass Trombone, Compositions and Arrangements Christoph Renner - Percussion, Drums