Artist description Imagine klezmer music with a Middle Eastern flavor -- a sizzling blend of sax, clarinet, violin and vocals on top of a powerful rhythm section. That's the sound of Balkanarama, an 8-person band performing traditional and modern music from Southeastern Europe -- mostly Bulgarian, Macedonian and Rom (Gypsy) songs.

Music Style Balkan & Rom (Gypsy) dance music

Musical Influences Ferus Mustafov, Esma Redzepova, Kocani Orkestar

Similar Artists Goran Bregovic, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Mickey Hart, Gypsy Kings

Artist History We started as a free-form jam in 1996, got serious in 1997, spent a year adding musicians and repertoire and were a hit in our public debut at Northwest Folklife in 1998. Since then, we've been playing at festivals, clubs and other events in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia.We released our first CD, "Nonstop," in May 2000. It contains 14 songs (55 minutes total), mostly traditional Balkan material never before recorded in the U.S.

Group Members Mike Gordon (clarinet, vocal), Fred Graves (alto sax, vocal), Jody Levinson (accordion, vocal), Sue Niemann (drums, vocal), Matty Noble (violin), Tym Parsons (electric bass, electric guitar), Jana Rickel (tambura, vocal), Kathy Sandstrom (percussion, vocal)

Instruments Sax, clarinet, violin, accordion, bass

Albums Nonstop (May 2000)

Press Reviews "...And everybody was there, because Balkanarama was playing at Zoka on a Saturday night. Crowded, a lot of physical contact, and everyone sucking their arms in to make room for more friends. The band was hot! Their repertoire is huge. This is not an everybody-play-along idiom. The styles and skills are challenging, and the challenge was well met! Their repertoire of dance music is huge. Not only that, but they selected dances which would accommodate all levels of dance skills, so the long lines twisted through the room and around the tables."--Sandy Bradley, The Seattle Press (1999)

Additional Info 100% cotton Balkanarama t-shirts with Escher-like image of female drummers also available.

Location Seattle, WA - USA

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