17 Hippies
is a band from Berlin, Germany, playing largely on acoustic instruments. Their music is a confection of various folk influences. They are most popular in their native Germany and France.
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17 HIPPIES TICKETS
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History
The band was founded 1995 in Berlin by Christopher Blenkinsop (
bouzouki,
ukulele &
vocals), Carsten Wegener (
bass), Lutz “Lüül” Ulbrich (
banjo &
guitar), Kristin “Kiki” Sauer (
accordion & vocals) and Reinhard "Koma" Lüderitz (
bagpipes). They first used the name
17 Hippies
in the fall of that year.
In 1996 they began to organize their own series of free concerts called
Hippie Haus Tanz
(Hippie House Dance). At this time Antje Henkel (
clarinet), Elmar Gutmann (
trumpet), and Ulrike “Rike” Lau (
cello) joined the band. In 1997 Henry Notroff (clarinet) and Dirk Trageser (guitar & vocals) also were added, and live recordings of different concerts and rehearsal room sessions were compiled into their first CD
Rock'n'Roll 13
.
In 1998 they played at the
SXSW Festival in
Austin, Texas and then toured in
Texas and
Louisiana. Later that year Uwe Langer (
trombone) joined the band and they played in
Paris for the first time.
They established their own record label and in 1999 released their second CD
Wer ist das?
(Who is that?). The French label Buda Musique released a
compilation of both CD’s called
Berlin Style
, which was then also released in Italy. Volker "Kruisko" Rettmann (accordion) joined the band.
In 2001 the band wrote the score for the German movie
Grill Point
(
Halbe Treppe
) by
Andreas Dresen and they performed in a cameo role in the film. A tour of
Budapest,
Prague,
Vienna and
France took place, and the second French album
Sirba
was released, featuring their first radio hit "Marlène". Kerstin Kaernbach (
violin) also was added to the band lineup. Their first studio album
Ifni
was released in 2004. An extensive tour of Germany,
Switzerland,
the Netherlands,
Belgium,
Hungary,
the Czech Republic,
Morocco and France ensued. Daniel Friederichs (violin) became the last member to join the current lineup. In 2006 the band made a tour of
Japan and
Spain and composed the music for the play
Kasimir and Karoline, staged at the
Deutsches Theater in Berlin.
In 2007, a second studio album
Heimlich
(Secretly) was released in Europe and North America. In September they embarked on their first US tour, playing in Chicago, New York, Washington and Bloomington. In December they played at the Olympia in Paris. In 2008, their earlier albums were released in the UK by Proper Records, they toured the US twice, and they played festivals in Germany, France, the UK, Canada, Spain, Switzerland, Ireland, Greece, and Algeria.
Style
Their style is a unique mix of Eastern European melodies and rhythms, with French chanson and American folk music. They sing mainly in German, English and French. In France their music is known as
Berlin Style
.
Sideline projects
Sexy Ambient Hippies
Since 1997 the 17 Hippies occasionally play with DJ’s and electronic musicians as the “Sexy Ambient Hippies”, with major concerts in Paris, Berlin and
Munich. Among the featured artists are Carsten Dane from
Hamburg, and Robert Cummings from
Canada. The concert at the
Pop d’Europe festival in Berlin on the 31st August 2002 was recorded, and released on CD in 2003.
Hardcore Troubadors
Together with
Les Hurlements d'Léo from
Bordeaux, they recorded an
EP with six songs. After giving concerts in
Moscow, and going on a French tour, the album was released in France by Wagram Music in 2004.
17 Hippies Play Guitar
On 19 December 2004, a concert given for German national radio WDR in
Cologne, featuring the two electric guitarists
Marc Ribot and
Jakob Ilja. It was recorded and released on CD in 2006.
17 Hippies & the Beat
In September 2008 they invite the
percussionist
Johnny Kalsi of the
Dhol Foundation in London to play with them. A first concert is given on September 12. in
Dortmund, Germany. The concert was broadcasted live by the WDR.
Discography
- Rock’n’roll 13
: 1997 | CD, Rent a Poet
- Texas Radio
: 1998 | MC, Rent a Poet
- Wer ist das?
: 1999 | CD, Rent a Poet
- Sirba
: 2002 | CD, Buda Musique
- Soundtrack for the film
Halbe Treppe : 2002 | CD, Rent a Poet
- 17 Hippies play Sexy Ambient Hippies
: 2003 | CD, Rent a Poet
- Ifni
: 2004 | CD, Rent a Poet
- Live in Berlin
: 2005 | DVD, Rent a Poet
- 17 Hippies Play Guitar
: 2006 | CD, Hipster Records
- Live in Berlin
: 2006 | CD, Hipster Records/Proper Music
- Heimlich
: 2007 | CD & LP, Hipster Records/Proper Music
- El Dorado
: 2009 | CD & LP, Hipster Records/Proper Music