Our independent music label was launched in 1994, as Gypsy Caravan Productions. With seven award-winning recordings, we grew up to become Cultivator Music.
Fade to Black is coming back from the past, by demand…to digital distribution. Now you can hear it and buy it at
Eight tracks, Fade To Black, SF revisited, 1982-1985
Fade To Black…yes, that band from San Francisco in the early 80’s,
pre-goth, moody, The Doors meet Bauhaus…
featuring Paulette Rees-Denis and Jeff Rees from Gypsy Caravan, along with Brad Orgeron and Gil Ray.
Collector’s Items
Limited quantity available
EP $20.00 plus S&H
Corridors Of Gender
five song EP, yes, on vinyl
1984 ~ Fade To Black
available on Gypsy Caravan website www.gypsycaravan.us
Corridors Of Gender MLP (CD Presents-CD026-1984)
1. Black Box
2. Forward From Hell
3. Towers Open Fire
4. Soundtrack
5. Cinema Blue
Trouser Press states:
Fade To Black:
Powerful, dramatic drone psychedelia from the San Francisco area. The lyrics, poetically packed with pretentious imagery, are opaque and vague (to me, anyway), but the music has real drive in spots. Credit drummer Gil Ray, later of Game Theory and Loud Family, and bassist Jeff Rees for propulsion; Paulette Rees (keyboards) and Bradley (vocals and guitar) for color and texture.
Click here to see Brad’s Ramblings about FTB’s songs and some old set lists.
Phoenix Hairpin writes…Singer Bradley construct his lyrics from mythologies as ancient as the Fisher King and Ophelia, and as current as William S. Burroughs’s warcry ‘Towers Open Fire!’ from ‘Naked Lunch’ (from an NY Times article written by Robert Palmer for Pop Life in 1985).
The music is also available from the Gypsy Caravan website www.gypsycaravan.us
UK and Europe shoppers, did you know you can get Gypsy Caravan and Mizna CDs through the LoneBoy store?
http://www.loneboystore.com
Caravan Rhythms—Remarkably Remixed
2007, Cultivator Music
Part of the Gypsy Caravan experience is that it takes all of us together to create our music and dnace. We asked some of our favorite spinners and mixers to assist us in remixing our original Caravan Rhythms CD, and it grooves big time. With Jeff Rees, Bruce Beaton, Peter Archer, Bruce Robertson, DJ Layla, Bhrigha & Greywolf of Murfeus Percussion Lab, Damon Law, E3 and JohnJohn.
$16.00, plus S&H
Mizna
2006, Cultivator Music
Mizna, which means a cloud in the desert, perform a stylized blend of the music of North Africa, Spain, India, the Middle and Near East, with a contemporary American sensibility. Both lively and thoughtful, this group evokes the lonely campfire of the hejira as well as the silken wealth of the caravanserai.
With a large assortment of horns and strings providing the melodic components, backed by an equally impressive array of drums and percussion instruments, the songs range from pensive and moody to bouyant uptempo tunes. Mizna plays all original compositions on a variety of traditional instruments, such as the Egyptian mijwiz, Turkish zurna and saz, African djembe and the Indian naal.
From Portland, Oregon, Mizna features two members from Gypsy Caravan, Jeff Rees and Bruce Beaton, who have released seven CDs under the Gypsy Caravan Productions label, and two accomplished musicians new to the belly dance and world music community, Doug Shafer and JD Devros.
$16.00, plus S&H
On Gypsy Caravan Productions
Quest, Gypsy Caravan
2003
14 songs, sometimes powerful, sometimes haunting, they transport us through the wide spectrum of emotions, in our eclectic tribal kind of caravan way. Traditional acoustic instruments joined with modern sounds and beats. With Jeff Rees, Bruce Beaton, Hans Janowitz, Jared Lewis.
$16.00 plus S&H
Awakening, Gypsy Caravan
2002
A different and slightly darker look into the tribal dance world with this eclectic band of gypsies. Jeff Rees and Bruce Beaton. Special guests Jeremiah Soto and Wayne Gilbertson.
$16.00 plus S&H
Migration
1999
A studio recording of 13 explosive, mesmerizing songs. With Jeff Rees, Bruce Beaton, Peter Archer, and Anthony Mansolino, Guest musicians: Doug Adams, Jeff Trott, and Victor El Agua
$16.00 plus S&H
Caravan Rhythms
1996
A must have for every belly dancer and musician. Remixed and re-mastered with three bonus tracks. Studio recording of 12 rhythms - chiftitelli, malfoof, masmoodi, beledi (2 versions), ayoob, bolero, saidi, 6/8, maksoom, karachi, karsilama… Beautiful and great for practice. Dumbek, mizwij, djembi, zurna, and other Middle Eastern instruments,with Jeff Rees, Bruce Beaton, and Peter Archer. Guest Paulette Rees-Denis.
$16.00 plus S&H
Live from Berbati’s and Key Largo
1996
The Gypsy Caravan is a community of dancers and musicians dedicated to maintaining ancient traditions while embracing contemporary life. A dynamic and mesmerizing live compilation.
With Jeff Rees, Bruce Beaton, Peter Archer, David Rolin, John Schanck, Lila Sklar.
$16.00 plus S&H
DVDs from Gypsy Caravan Productions
Available from the Gypsy Caravan website
www.gypsycaravan.us
Tribal Travels: A Collage
$30.00
Paulette Rees-Denis presents a film by Christopher Ritchie.
Welcome to the world of tribal belly dance told through the hips and hands of Gypsy Caravan. They weave you through strands of their journey of dance and music with evocative and sensual performances—in intimate restaurants and in large productions. Join this celebration of life through rhythms, melodies and movement with an eclectic tribe of dancers and musicians from Portland, Oregon as they travel on their own pilgrimage of passion, ritual, obsession and art. With discussions about their dance, teaching and performing, to song creations, experience what being with Gypsy Caravan is like for these entertainers. An in depth look at their journey spanning over two years, 2002-2004, follow these nomadic musical storytellers, inspired by the ancient traditions of different cultures, as they fuse their collective vision to create this evolving cultural and visual collage.
“The Giza Academy Awards would like to congratulate Paulette Rees-Denis and Gypsy Caravan for winning our award for the best HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY OF A TROUPE with your video, Tribal Travels: A Collage.”
Tribal Technique 8: Mesmerizing Slow Moves Intermediate Level
$30.00
Enter into our lair, Caravan Studio, and try out these beautiful and mesmerizing slow moves, then add them to your dance repertoire. Tribal Belly dance is based on improvisational moves, so watch, listen, and move along with us to learn the steps. This instructional DVD is part of our sequential technique series, and it is intended for intermediate level dancers. It will be beneficial for you to know the dance steps from the previous volumes to best use and understand these moves. Thank you for your desire to further enrich your dance and may you always dance with passion and joy!
Tribal Technique 7: Caravan Combos Intermediate Level
$30.00
Here we are again at Caravan Studio, with our newest Caravan Combos, mini-combinations in our Tribal Belly dance format, for you to add to your dance. This instructional technique series is sequential, and intended for intermediate level dancers, so it will be beneficial for you to know the dance steps from the previous volumes to best use and understand these moves.
Tribal Technique 6: Tribal Styling
$30.00
As we continue on our dance path, there is much fusion and evolution with Tribal Belly dance. Here is a taste for you to work with Indian and Spanish Stylings.
Tribal Technique 5: More Intermediate Moves
$30.00
Advance your dance, add new moves, sharpen your technique. Warm-up, workout, and dance!
Tribal Technique 4: Tribal Combinations and Formations
$30.00
With this 4th video in our technique series, we cover combination steps to be added to your repertoire of movements that compliment the improvisational style of tribal belly dance. Please be familiar with the previous technique videos so that you may move through this video with ease and awareness. We also show you a few of our performance formations to use and adapt to your own style. We will take you through a quick visual review, a warm-up, the technique section, a practice and review section, and a mini performance.
Tribal Technique 3: Intermediate Level with Variations
$30.00
Paulette Rees-Denis presents this 3rd technique video in the Tribal Belly dance series. This video is meant to follow the first two in the series, so it is important for you to be familiar and comfortable with the earlier teachings. Included in this video are reviews of the previous basic steps, warm-up exercises, technique break down, practice sessions, and a mini performance with the Gypsy Caravan dancers.
Tribal Technique 2
$28.00
This video is a continuation of techniques from Tribal Technique Volume 1. It covers several basic steps with more advanced movements of this tribal style of belly dance.
Tribal Technique 1
$25.00
1994.
Paulette Rees-Denis presents the first volume in a series of instructional videos on tribal style belly dance. These are the primary movements for this group oriented dance style. Paulette takes you through extensive warm-up exercises and then through basic steps with variations.
