Greek musician Chris Kiriazis opens his album The Rise of the Balkans with “Tallava,” a sharp, unpolished take on the street-born genre of the same name. Released on 17 April, the track features Romanian clarinettist Mihai Pirvan and pulls from the raw, improvised energy that defines Tallava, a style shaped by Romani communities across the Balkans. 

The clarinet takes the lead with sharp, restless lines, while the percussion lays down a tight, unrelenting groove. Kiriazis strips the production back, letting the natural tension of the music do the work. Pirvan’s performance cuts through with urgency and control, anchoring the track in Tallava’s roots while pushing its energy forward.

“Tallava” is part of a broader project across the album, where Kiriazis reworks other regional styles like Makedonsko oro and Hora. He approaches each track with a clear producer’s mindset: not to modernise for the sake of it, but to strip the music back, find its core, and rebuild it with intent. The result is Balkan music that feels both rooted and restless.

You can stream and listen to the album HERE