Matelo Ferret was one of the central figures in the history of Gypsy jazz. He was the youngest of the guitar playing Ferret family which included Sarane Ferret and Baro Ferret. They all served an apprenticeship accompanying Django, and later had careers of theirs own.

This clip, which was shot at the yearly Django Reinhardt festival in Samois, France, shows Matelo playing Minch valse which was composed by Matteo Garcia. To learn what “minch” means in Romanesh (the Gypsy language) see the book: Django: The Life and Music of a Gypsy Legend Matelo is accompanied by his son Boulou Ferre, who is one of the premier Gypsy jazz guitarists today.

For more Matelo Ferret see his CD: Tziganskaia and Other Rare Recordings 1960-1978 and Manouche Partie.

The video archive is dedicated to Mary Honcoop. She generously shared her large collection of Gypsy videos with nearly anyone who asked. The video archive aims to continue her generosity now that she is gone.

The Video Archive is devoted surviving video of Django Reinhardt and other masters of the Gypsy jazz genre. If you enjoy these videos consider making a donation.

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