Balkan Music Night 2020

UPDATE: We are saddened to inform you that Balkan Music Night 2020 is canceled due to concerns for the health of our community from the continuing and escalating threat of the coronavirus.

Thank you for your understanding and support of Balkan Music Night! We will plan on seeing you, hale and hearty, in 2021!

Balkan Music Night is the premier local event devoted to showcasing the distinctive and vibrant instrumental and vocal music of southeastern Europe. Produced in partnership with the Folk Arts Center of New England, Balkan Music Night brings together folk music and dance enthusiasts from across the Northeast for a fun-filled night of traditional music and dancing.

The evening’s festivities take place in two separate spaces: the Main Hall, for participatory dancing to energetic, live Balkan dance band music, and the upstairs Kefana, for acoustic music performances in an intimate venue with concert seating. The party begins in the Main Hall at 7:00PM, with simple, no-partner dances, with brief instruction provided. The night continues until 1:00AM, with breaks for refreshments, sing-alongs, dance performances from local youth groups Grachanitsa, and Mladost, and participatory singing and dancing for all [hora na pesen].

Balkan Music Night performers are master musicians who emigrated from the Balkan countries, as well as American-born musicians who have embraced these traditions. This year, the musical lineup includes bands playing time-honored tunes from across the region, including Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and more!

Among the dance bands are Zlatne Uste, New York’s premier Balkan Brass band, playing Balkan brass dance music from Romany (Gypsy), Serbian, Macedonian, and Bulgarian traditions; Kavala, musicians from Zlatne Uste specializing in the rich brass musical repertoire of northern Greece and Macedonia; Matt Schreiber and Friends with music from Bosnia, Bulgaria, and Macedonia; REVMA playing lively traditional Greek dance tunes; and Pajdaši, playing energetic, irresistible Croatian music.

In the kefana, the performers include local violin virtuoso Beth Bahia Cohen leading two trios - one playing music from Hungary/Transylvania, and the other traditional Turkish music; Dolunay, presenting songs of Turkish people living in Rumeli, the former region of the Ottoman Balkans; Aya and Tano of Sarma Brass Band fame playing traditional Greek, Turkish, and Albanian music; as well Zdravets, Balkan E Boston Acoustic.

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