pay a fee that would cover all transport, visas, and other expenses. The deal allowed Ernst and his collaborator, Helmut Neumann, to form the management and booking agency Asphalt Tango. Fanfare Ciocărlia quickly won a large following in northern Europe, with their powerful brass sound appealing to rock and rave fans as well as world music audiences. In 1997, Ernst and Neumann brought the band into Bucharest's Electrecord studio to create their debut album. The record, Radio Pașcani, was released on the Berlin label Piranha Musik in 1998 and proved an instant success. Radio Pașcani received positive reviews—many reviewers noted that they had never heard a brass band who played with such speed and Eastern flavour—and went on to become one of the biggest-selling albums in Piranha Musik's catalogue (selling over 150,000 copies on CD), making it amongst the most popular Eastern European albums released in the West. From European success to worldwide fame: 1999–2005 From 1999 to 2005, Fanfare Ciocărlia toured extensively, playing across Europe and the United States. The band's second album, Baro Biao, was also recorded at Electrecord's studio and released on Piranha Musik. Baro Biao was well received and helped further Fanfare Ciocărlia's international popularity. Dates in Japan and Australia followed, as well as playing at the UK's WOMAD Festival. In 2001, Piranha Musik released the band's third album, Iag Bari. The record featured music influenced by New Orleans jazz standards (West Side Blues), along with Romanian folk music, including the ballad "Lume Lume". Fanfare Ciocărlia continued their international touring schedule, accompanied by German film director Ralf Marschalleck, who followed them from their village to Berlin and Tokyo for his feature-length documentary, Iag Bari – Brass on Fire. In 2005, Ernst and Neumann produced the Fanfare Ciocărlia album Gili Garabdi – Ancient Secrets of Gypsy Brass, both in the band's home village of Zece Prajini and in Berlin's Headroom Studio. The album featured the band's interpretations of "James Bond Theme" and Duke Ellington's "Caravan". Both tracks became popular staples of the band's repertoire. British world music DJ Charlie Gillett often played "Caravan" on his BBC Radio shows and included it on his double-CD compilation World 2006. In 2005, Fanfare Ciocărlia appeared on the cover of Garth Cartwright's book Princes Amongst Men: Journeys with Gypsy Musicians. The book contained interviews with Ernst and members of the band. Death of Ioan Ivancea; concert and recording collaborations: 2005–2015 Ioan