The Shukar Collective was born from the meeting of new generation musicians with the gypsy traditions of Shukar founders Napoleon, Tamango and Clasic. Shukar plays ursari music (ursar means "bear tamer" or "bear handler") using spoons, wooden barrels or darabouka to create a powerful and urgent sound that is emotional and soulful at the same time. Urban Gypsy combines Shukar's original ursari music with the new technology of the collective, resulting in their distinctive sound.

The Shukar Collective idea came about after Lucian Stan and Dan Handrabur heard some original Shukar tracks and saw them perform in a well-known Bucharest jazz club. The idea behind the project consisted of re-orchestrating these fabulous folkloric pieces with current technologies, while preserving and emphasizing the original aspect.