THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO ATTENDED AND SUPPORTED THIS VERY SUCCESSFUL EVENT! STAY TUNED FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS OF NEXT YEAR'S BASH AND WE'LL HOPE TO SEE YOU THEN!
Eastern European Folk Dance Party and Potluck Dinner featuring live music from ***SIX*** local ensembles: Planina, Sherefe, Barbelfish, Gora Gora Orkestar with members of Veelah, Ansembl Teodosievski, and the brand new Bitovniks!
It’s traditional in Eastern Europe to celebrate “Old New Year” in mid-January; that’s the beginning of the new year in the Slavic Orthodox (Julian) calendar, an unofficial holiday in much of Eastern Europe, and one more opportunity to bring light and celebration to the darkest part of the year.
So six of our local ensembles have joined together to help you dance away the darkness (and some of those holiday calories) in the most ambitious Boulder Balkan Bash to date!
Live folk dance music starts at 5:30pm and continues until 11:00pm. From 6:00 till 10:00pm the potluck dinner and dessert will be served. All guests are encouraged to bring a dish to share. (We ourselves are cooking and we would love for everyone to bring food, but if you cannot, we'd much rather have you attend without a dish than stay home!)
The dance music program will feature tunes from Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, and Roma (Gypsy) traditions. While the majority of dances will be line dances, a few waltzes and other couple dances will also be included. Many of the dances are easy enough to learn on the spot and there will be strong dance leaders present. Everyone is invited to dance, but no one is required to do so; the Avalon has plenty of room to sit and watch.
Many of the ensemble members have been performing Eastern European folk dance music for the past several decades, at concerts, festivals, benefits, and in collaboration with each other, for the enjoyment of dancers and listeners all over Colorado and the region. Special guests Petar Teodosijev (accordionist from Macedonia), Milyo Kepchelev (tambura player from Bulgaria), Emma Shubin (flute), Matthew Shubin (bassoon) and Paul Brown (bass) will be accompanying our local instrumentalists and singers. Go to planina.org for descriptions of all the performers. (If they're not there yet, please check back on a day or two!)
In Eastern Europe, live music and dancing are always accompanied by food! So roll up your sleeves, make a great dish, and come celebrate with us at the Avalon Ballroom (6185 Arapahoe Rd, Boulder, 80303), on Saturday, January 10th! Don’t know what to bring or don’t like to cook? Please contact Mary Ann, the food coordinator, at [email protected] for assistance/ideas, etc.
Please buy tickets in advance if you possibly can to help us estimate the food/beverage needs.
Potluck, food, and beverage info: [email protected] or 720-936-5055.
Event and ticket info: [email protected] or 303-329-6242.
ABOUT THE ENSEMBLES:
Ansambl Teodosiev. Petar Teodosiev, a Macedonian-born accordion virtuoso who has played extensively in Serbia and toured internationally for years with Roma legend Esma Redžepova, will introduce his new ensemble and his brand-new arrangements of folk songs from the former Yugoslavia at the Boulder Balkan Bash. Petar Teodosijev (accordion), Milyo Kepchelev (tambura/Bulgarian long-necked lute), Mark Brissenden (bass), Brett Bowen (drums), Emma Shubin (flute), Matthew Shubin (bassoon), and vocalists Valerie Brown, Jamie Halliday, Iskra Ivanova, Julie Lancaster, Loren Olds, and Galina Siarheichyk
Barbelfish. Barbelfish (named after a freshwater fish to which a pretty girl is likened in some Macedonian songs), plays soul-stirring music for dancing from Eastern Europe and beyond, especially from Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Greece. Village and urban music from the Balkans offers some of the most exquisite melodies, soaring harmonies and driving rhythms on the planet and Barbelfish expertly delivers them--often making their audience want to jump up and dance! Jesse Manno (percussion, vocals), Steve Mullins (tambura, guitar, bouzouki, mandolin), Amy Self (clarinet, kaval, vocals), James Hoskins (gudulka, cello, vocals), Julie Lancaster (accordion, tambura, vocals), Loren Olds (vocals).
The Bitovniks. After participating in a Bitov ensemble (an ensemble of only traditional Bulgarian instruments, no modern ones) at the Eastern European Folklife Center’s Balkan Music & Dance workshop this summer in Mendocino, Calif., some of our local musicians were seized with the desire to keep playing that music and to bring it to our local audiences. The Bash will be the Bitōvniks’ debut performance. Brett Bowen (tapan / bass drum), Mark Brissenden (gajda / bagpipe), James Hoskins (gudulka / folk fiddle), Steve Mullins (tambura / long-necked lute), Mary Ann Saussotte (tambura), and Amy Self (kaval / wooden flute).
Planina - Songs of Eastern Europe. Planina (the word means “mountains” in several South Slavic languages) is a mixed chorus of about 14 members. The group has been performing in Colorado for 26 years, presenting a cappella and accompanied music from many parts of Eastern Europe, including the Balkans, Russia, Lithuania, and Hungary. Some of the members play instruments (various drums and percussion, violin, viola, accordion, mandolin, tambura). For this event, the group is also joined by expert guest instrumentalists Petar Teodosiev (accordion) and Milyo Kepchelev (tambura).
Sherefe. Sherefe, named after the Turkish drinking toast, "to your honor," is a group of mostly Boulder-based musicians dedicated to performing traditional music from the Balkans and the Middle East. At the Bash they will play dance music from Greece, Turkey and elsewhere in the Balkans. Brett Bowen (doumbek, tupan), Paul Brown (bass), James Hoskins (cello, gudulka, bouzouki, guitar, vocals), Jesse Manno (baglama, bouzouki, saz, oud, flutes, vocals), Julie Lancaster (accordion, vocals).
Gora Gora Orkestar and members of Veelah. Gora Gora Orkestar has been bringing the sounds of the Balkans to the Rockies with high-energy performances, infectious rhythm, and feel-good music since 2009. Veelah plays hot urban Balkan folk music on acoustic instruments: clarinets saxophones, accordion, tuba, drum kit and hand drums that drive mesmerizing rhythms and soaring solos. Think of Dixieland Brass Band with eastern modes, and you have an idea: it's hot and smoky party music for line dancing or your global groove! The name is inspired by a Slavic woodland fairy, which also inspired the Veela characters in Harry Potter books. From Gora Gora: Tung Pham and Alice Hansen (trumpet), John Jonas and Breana Cowart (trombone), Kevin Kern and Ian Campbell (percussion), and Ben Fausch (tuba); from Veelah: Dave Willey (accordion), Jesse Manno (percussion), James Hoskins (trombone), and Brian Mullins (tuba).