Now available for preorder: Eva Salina‘s first large ensemble recording, a tribute to Šaban Bajramović, the legendary Romani singer and composer from Southern Serbia.
With Šaban’s songs, transformed by an imaginative and capable international collection of musicians, Eva casts off gender and genre, welcoming input from diverse forms of dance music while paying respect to one of Romani music’s all-time greatest voices.
Visit www.evasalina.com for more information and to preorder.
Penka Encheva and Friends is a 17-track CD recorded at Jack Straw Cultural Center in Seattle. It features Penka singing songs from her native Bulgaria, many from the region of Dobrudzha in northeast Bulgaria.
Guest artists include: Bulgarian Voices of Seattle Women’s Choir, whose 30 members were all born in Bulgaria; David Bilides, kaval and tambura; Aleksandr Eppler, kaval; Michael Lawson, accordion; Hristo Mollov, clarinet; Vladimir Mollov, accordion; Jody Rush, vocals. Order at cdbaby.com.
This CD is part of the Songs of Our Families Bulgarian Heritage Project, sponsored by the Bulgarian Cultural and Heritage Center of Seattle and produced by Mary Sherhart.
Tazi Baba / This Baba is a 30-minute documentary film by Bogdan Darev. It is the story of one grandmother, Penka Encheva, who was an extraordinary traditional singer in her native Bulgaria. She had dreams of becoming a professional singer, but her path led her to become a teacher instead. In 2010, at age 67, she came to America to live with her daughter’s family and help care for her two young grandsons. Penka’s is a universal story of grandmothers from every country across the globe who are divided between here and there, isolated by a lack of English, stuck in suburbs, missing their friends and loved ones back home. However, Penka found a new life with a choir, Bulgarian Voices of Seattle, and is now making her dreams come true. Contact mary@marysherhart.com for order information.
This DVD is part of the Songs of Our Families Bulgarian Heritage Project sponsored by the Bulgarian Cultural and Heritage Center of Seattle and produced by Mary Sherhart. Click on the link for more information.
Musaic (“Music from the Balkans to Tierra Caliente”) is a local band in Humboldt County, Calif. Some of the members have been playing Balkan music together for over 20 years. Musaic has been performing for folk dancing and belly dancers, in coffee shops, and for parties and weddings in this configuration for seven years. Check out the band’s website for samples of music and information about band members.
Songs and dances on the CD include: Gjushevska Rachenitsa, Erev Shel Shoshanim (Yosef Hadar and Moshe Dor), Mazltov, Svadbarski Čoček, Gorani, Imate Li Vino, and many more.
To order, contact Dan Chandler, 436 Old Wagon Rd., Trinidad, CA 95570. Phone: 707/601-6127 or 707/677-3359. E-mail: dwchandl@suddenlink.net.
Dunava is a Seattle-based Balkan women’s vocal ensemble, founded in 2005. This CD features (obviously) a variety of Bulgarian songs—arranged and traditional, instrumental and a cappella. Bulgarian folk songs are at once beautiful, haunting and captivating. They speak of hardships in life and love, but can also be flirty and lighthearted.
This compilation has it all—complex rhythms, close harmonies and that unique Bulgarian vocal sound. Several of these songs were learned at the EEFC Balkan Music & Dance Workshops in Mendocino.
The CD is for sale directly through the CDs page on the Dunava website. Preview and online download are available at CD Baby.
Traditional Balkan songs and dances sung by Peter Lyster, Tatiana Sarbinska, and Orfeia Vocal Ensemble with fresh, modern arrangements from the creative mind of Koliu Kolev.
This 18-track recording includes performances of Devojko Mari Hubava; Bjah Pil Vino; Aksano, Mlada Nevesto; Jove Malaj Mome; Pitat Me, Mamo, V Selo Momite, and many others.
To order the CD and individual tracks, go to CDBaby.
New recordings and books by folks in the EEFC community. Names in bold type indicate EEFC Workshop campers, staff, teachers, and other EEFC supporters.
Traditional Balkan songs and dances sung by Peter Lyster, Tatiana Sarbinska, and Orfeia Vocal Ensemble with fresh, modern arrangements from the creative mind of Koliu Kolev.
This 18-track recording includes performances of Devojko Mari Hubava; Bjah Pil Vino; Aksano, Mlada Nevesto; Jove Malaj Mome; Pitat Me, Mamo, V Selo Momite, and many others.
To order the CD and individual tracks, go to CDBaby.
Dunava is a Seattle-based Balkan women's vocal ensemble, founded in 2005. This CD features (obviously) a variety of Bulgarian songs—arranged and traditional, instrumental and a cappella. Bulgarian folk songs are at once beautiful, haunting and captivating. They speak of hardships in life and love, but can also be flirty and lighthearted.
This compilation has it all—complex rhythms, close harmonies and that unique Bulgarian vocal sound. Several of these songs were learned at the EEFC Balkan Music & Dance Workshops in Mendocino.
The CD is for sale directly through the CDs page on the Dunava website. Preview and online download are available at CD Baby.
Tazi Baba / This Baba is a 30-minute documentary film by Bogdan Darev. It is the story of one grandmother, Penka Encheva, who was an extraordinary traditional singer in her native Bulgaria. She had dreams of becoming a professional singer, but her path led her to become a teacher instead. In 2010, at age 67, she came to America to live with her daughter’s family and help care for her two young grandsons. Penka’s is a universal story of grandmothers from every country across the globe who are divided between here and there, isolated by a lack of English, stuck in suburbs, missing their friends and loved ones back home. However, Penka found a new life with a choir, Bulgarian Voices of Seattle, and is now making her dreams come true. Contact mary@marysherhart.com for order information.
This DVD is part of the Songs of Our Families Bulgarian Heritage Project sponsored by the Bulgarian Cultural and Heritage Center of Seattle and produced by Mary Sherhart. Click on the link for more information.
Musaic (“Music from the Balkans to Tierra Caliente”) is a local band in Humboldt County, Calif. Some of the members have been playing Balkan music together for over 20 years. Musaic has been performing for folk dancing and belly dancers, in coffee shops, and for parties and weddings in this configuration for seven years. Check out the band’s website for samples of music and information about band members.
Songs and dances on the CD include: Gjushevska Rachenitsa, Erev Shel Shoshanim (Yosef Hadar and Moshe Dor), Mazltov, Svadbarski Čoček, Gorani, Imate Li Vino, and many more.
To order, contact Dan Chandler, 436 Old Wagon Rd., Trinidad, CA 95570. Phone: 707/601-6127 or 707/677-3359. E-mail: dwchandl@suddenlink.net.
Penka Encheva and Friends is a 17-track CD recorded at Jack Straw Cultural Center in Seattle. It features Penka singing songs from her native Bulgaria, many from the region of Dobrudzha in northeast Bulgaria.
Guest artists include: Bulgarian Voices of Seattle Women’s Choir, whose 30 members were all born in Bulgaria; David Bilides, kaval and tambura; Aleksandr Eppler, kaval; Michael Lawson, accordion; Hristo Mollov, clarinet; Vladimir Mollov, accordion; Jody Rush, vocals. Order at cdbaby.com.
This CD is part of the Songs of Our Families Bulgarian Heritage Project, sponsored by the Bulgarian Cultural and Heritage Center of Seattle and produced by Mary Sherhart.
Now available for preorder: Eva Salina's first large ensemble recording, a tribute to Šaban Bajramović, the legendary Romani singer and composer from Southern Serbia.
With Šaban’s songs, transformed by an imaginative and capable international collection of musicians, Eva casts off gender and genre, welcoming input from diverse forms of dance music while paying respect to one of Romani music’s all-time greatest voices.
Visit www.evasalina.com for more information and to preorder.
Longtime Balkan camp teachers Donka Koleva, Nikolay Kolev and Vassil Bebelekov team up with multi-instrumentalist Varna native Dragni Dragnev on a collection of 12 Bulgarian dance tunes that will get your toes a-tapping. Bulgarika is touring the U.S. this fall, so be sure to catch one of their shows if you can. If you aren't lucky enough to see them live, Donka will gladly hook you up with a CD when the band returns from tour. Email her or call 646/296-4045 to place an order. Listen to track samples here.
Our Eastern European Threads series brings you information and tips about Balkan and other Eastern European textiles and costumes. In this issue, Caring for Your Folk Costume.
Tablet-woven belts from the Shope region, Bulgaria, from the author’s collection.
Well, how do you care for your folk costume? First of all, we are assuming that this is a costume you wear to dance or perform in, not a museum-quality piece that you intend to preserve for posterity. Unless you made the costume yourself and prewashed all the components, you cannot be certain how it will react to washing or dry cleaning, but you want to keep the costume clean and dust free. So here are a few guidelines.
Fabric in folk costumes can generally be broken down into three groups—animal/protein, vegetable and manmade. Wool and silk are in the first group, linen/hemp and cotton in the second, and rayon/acetate and polyester in the third. You need to treat each group differently AND be aware that your trim or embroidery may not be the same fiber. If you live near a museum or university that houses a textile collection you can find out what dry cleaner they use. Searching out a dry cleaner yourself is a matter of finding one that is willing to work with you and preferably has the plant on premise. If you don’t have that resource available or choose not to dry-clean, it is possible you can hand wash the costume yourself. Do be aware that once you use water, you cannot undo any of its effects. If the piece is a blend of fabric, treat it according to the least hardy component.
Test for colorfastness first. Pick an inconspicuous area of the garment, put several folded white paper towels under the area you’re checking. Dampen the area with cold water, put several folded towels on top and place a weight on top. Check the towels at 5 minutes and again at 15 and 20. Any color on them means the piece is NOT colorfast. Also do this check on any embroidery or trim. WARNING—wetting silk or acetate/rayon material can stain the fabric itself!
If you pass the colorfast test, you can attempt washing. Do it in a large flat basin with lots of cold running water—your bathtub or shower. Start with a plain cool water soak and rinse until the water runs clean. If needed, you can wash again with a translucent dish washing soap such as Dawn (avoid the milky lotion kind). You can also use Synthrapol or Orvus. Do NOT ever use a commercial laundry product, as many of them have bleaching agents and they are alkaline, which is bad for wool and silk. Again, rinse until the water runs clear. DON’T EVER use any kind of chlorine bleach or enzyme on wool or silk. It will eat the fabric.
To dry your costume, remove excess water by rolling the costume in dry towels and gently squeezing. A clean chamois-type towel will work well. Finish drying your costume spread out flat on towels if it’s heavy. You can flip the costume from front to back to speed drying. If it's lighter, you can use a plastic hanger—never use metal or wood as they may stain the fabric. It may take several days to dry, so be patient. This is also an excellent time to finger-press in any pleats.
Now that your costume is clean, DON'T store it in plastic, especially not if it’s damp! Use a padded hanger for lightweight costumes. In fact, most folk costumes were traditionally folded and stored in chests. See if you can find someone to show you how the costume should be folded. When you wear your costume, use an old T-shirt or garment shields underneath and ALWAYS wash or clean your costume after wearing it—even though it may not smell bad, contact with your body oils and salts means it needs cleaning!
Wendi Kiss
first encountered Eastern European music, dance and costume quite some time ago and has never looked back. A former AVAZ member and group costume director, and one of the early members of Zhena Women's Choir, she is currently a member and costume director of Planina Songs of Eastern Europe, Storm Mountain Folk Dancers (retired, but still costume director) and the Loveland Choral Society.
Wendi is editor of Kef Times' Eastern European Threads. If you have an idea for an interesting textile, costume, costume tradition, etc., to be featured in a future issue, please contact her.
Tablet-woven belts from the Shope region, Bulgaria, from the author’s collection.
Well, how do you care for your folk costume? First of all, we are assuming that this is a costume you wear to dance or perform in, not a museum-quality piece that you intend to preserve for posterity. Unless you made the costume yourself and prewashed all the components, you cannot be certain how it will react to washing or dry cleaning, but you want to keep the costume clean and dust free. So here are a few guidelines.
Fabric in folk costumes can generally be broken down into three groups—animal/protein, vegetable and manmade. Wool and silk are in the first group, linen/hemp and cotton in the second, and rayon/acetate and polyester in the third. You need to treat each group differently AND be aware that your trim or embroidery may not be the same fiber. If you live near a museum or university that houses a textile collection you can find out what dry cleaner they use. Searching out a dry cleaner yourself is a matter of finding one that is willing to work with you and preferably has the plant on premise. If you don’t have that resource available or choose not to dry-clean, it is possible you can hand wash the costume yourself. Do be aware that once you use water, you cannot undo any of its effects. If the piece is a blend of fabric, treat it according to the least hardy component.
Test for colorfastness first. Pick an inconspicuous area of the garment, put several folded white paper towels under the area you’re checking. Dampen the area with cold water, put several folded towels on top and place a weight on top. Check the towels at 5 minutes and again at 15 and 20. Any color on them means the piece is NOT colorfast. Also do this check on any embroidery or trim. WARNING—wetting silk or acetate/rayon material can stain the fabric itself!
If you pass the colorfast test, you can attempt washing. Do it in a large flat basin with lots of cold running water—your bathtub or shower. Start with a plain cool water soak and rinse until the water runs clean. If needed, you can wash again with a translucent dish washing soap such as Dawn (avoid the milky lotion kind). You can also use Synthrapol or Orvus. Do NOT ever use a commercial laundry product, as many of them have bleaching agents and they are alkaline, which is bad for wool and silk. Again, rinse until the water runs clear. DON’T EVER use any kind of chlorine bleach or enzyme on wool or silk. It will eat the fabric.
To dry your costume, remove excess water by rolling the costume in dry towels and gently squeezing. A clean chamois-type towel will work well. Finish drying your costume spread out flat on towels if it’s heavy. You can flip the costume from front to back to speed drying. If it’s lighter, you can use a plastic hanger—never use metal or wood as they may stain the fabric. It may take several days to dry, so be patient. This is also an excellent time to finger-press in any pleats.
Now that your costume is clean, DON’T store it in plastic, especially not if it’s damp! Use a padded hanger for lightweight costumes. In fact, most folk costumes were traditionally folded and stored in chests. See if you can find someone to show you how the costume should be folded. When you wear your costume, use an old T-shirt or garment shields underneath and ALWAYS wash or clean your costume after wearing it—even though it may not smell bad, contact with your body oils and salts means it needs cleaning!
Wendi Kiss first encountered Eastern European music, dance and costume quite some time ago and has never looked back. A former AVAZ member and group costume director, and one of the early members of Zhena Women’s Choir, she is currently a member and costume director of Planina Songs of Eastern Europe, Storm Mountain Folk Dancers (retired, but still costume director) and the Loveland Choral Society.
Wendi is editor of Kef Times’ Eastern European Threads. If you have an idea for an interesting textile, costume, costume tradition, etc., to be featured in a future issue, please contact her.
Jay House Samios
Welcome to the second issue of the all-new, online Kef Times. I’m delighted to release to you the second issue in what we are planning as a thrice-yearly publication. I encourage you to share the articles you find most interesting, and let Julie and the rest of the team know what you think of their work.
Thanks to volunteers, we are moving forward with an improved database that will better equip us to communicate effectively with different groups of people, including funders, potential campers and new communities entirely. Since East Coast camp, a team comprised of Jeanne Busch, Noel Kropf and Martie Ripson has stepped up, taking on the task of assessing and setting up a new, more powerful database.
I am also happy to provide the following updates to our work in Fundraising and Outreach.
Next month, look for an update from me on what’s happening with the Program Committee, the fall board meeting, and the latest word on the organization’s finances.