BLUE BALKONY FESTIVAL
The Indian Head Center for the Arts is proud to present a brand
new annual event dedicated
to the fusion and convergence of music and cultures:
The International Folk-Fusion Festivals:
Music Fusion and Ethnic Convergence
When:
Sep 20, 2008~ 4pm to midnight
Indian
Head Pavilion
Tickets $10
|
Where:
Indian Head Village Green Pavilion
100 Walter Thomas Road
Indian Head, MD 20640
Map
|
KAL
Musicians:
Dragan Ristic - vocals, guitar, shargjia
Dragan Mitrovic - accordion
Vladan Mitrovic - accordion, backing vocals
Djordje Belkic - violin
Dragan Runic - double bass
Neat Junuzi - percussions
A
Serbian-based Roma music group, Kal, has become an important new
voice in the fight for Roma rights, with their eponymous debut
album (Tango Records, 2006). Kal is a brave, engrossing album
deeply rooted in Balkan Romani music; the musicians’ training
forms the solid backbone to this album. But Kal also blends an
unlikely combination of Middle Eastern, Argentinian, Turkish,
Indian, and even Jamaican influences, musical genres that the
band has absorbed into its repertoire.
The
identity Kal carry forward is racially proud yet ethnically inclusive,
forward looking while embracing the treasure of the last thousand
years of lungo drom (long road), a culture determined to operate
as equals in the ever evolving Nu-Europe we all share. While our
post-modern, polyglot times may find employing terms like "commitment"
and "mission" unfashionable Kal are a band who aim to
make a difference.
Kal
¬ the word is Romani for "black" ¬ were formed
by the Ristic brothers, Dushan and Dragan, to confront the prejudices
and clichés the Roma face. Dragan, a theatre producer who
has set up Romani theatre groups in Budapest and Belgrade, and
Dushan, a painter, aimed to use Kal to blend influences from traditional
Balkan Gypsy music with the contemporary music they heard whilst
living in Belgrade and Budapest. The Ristics grew up in Central
Serbia where they lead, every summer, the Amala Summer School
(www.amala.com), a two week gathering at their home village in
Valjevo where students from across the world come to learn Roma
language, music and history.
Petra Gelbart
Originally
from Czech Republic, Petra Gelbart is in the final stages of an
ethnomusicology Ph.D. at Harvard University, where she has assistant-taught
music history, Czech conversation, and led a tutorial in Romani.
She is a member of the Russian-Romani ensemble VIA Romen and has
volunteered for several Romani NGOs.
Petra Gelbart, also a specialist in Gypsy traditional music, has
performed traditional and original Roma songs vocally and on the
accordion at venues such as the California Herdeljezi Festival,
Hungarian House (NY) and the The Ida Kelarova International Festival
at Svojanov Castle, Czech Republic.
The
Balkanics
Varol Saatcioglu (keyboard, vocals, bagpipe)
Tzvety Weiner (vocals)
Jeff Suzda (saxophone, clarinet)
Daniel Rozas (clarinet)
Len Newman (bass, rhythm guitar, tambura)
Bryndyn Weiner (drums, vocals)
The
music of the Balkans is so interesting and challenging that we
can’t help but feel blessed for being able to interpret
it and present it to you, our audiences, in its typical form,
with only a slight flavor of our own. The instrumentation that
they use is typical for most wedding bands popular today throughout
the Balkans. The clarinet, the saxophone, the keyboard and the
bass/rhythm guitar — all modern electric instruments of
the West — give this music of odd modes a very peculiar
sound. It is truly appealing to younger crowds because it’s
loud, exciting and very driving, even somewhat hypnotic. And because
we play generally traditional tunes, we can characterize the product
as “old music for the new generations.”
Naturally, purists and traditionalists do not prefer this fusion
of genres and instrumentation but it certainly has a lot to offer
if you ask the youth attending our gigs. Currently we are the
only band of its kind in the Washington, D.C. area. At our gigs,
we love to see both young people as well as our friends and extended
families who represent the previous generation of folkies in this
neck of the woods. Thank you all for your continuing support and
let the party begin!
Michael
James "Blues" Baker and Blue Smoke Blues Band
Blue
Smoke Blues Band originated in 1989 with the meeting of Mike Baker
and Dan Milkman. Mike Baker was a folk guitarist and singer in
the Laurel area. A mutual friend, Dominic Vigliotti had been counseling
Mike through a tough time that he had been having since he had
blinded in a swimming pool accident. Mr. Vigliotti suggested that
Mike meet a colleague of his from Rosso Bros. Music named Dan
Milkman. A casual meeting was set-up and Mike discovered that
Dan Milkman was a blues enthusiast and guitarist. With lots of
coaxing from both Dominic and Dan, Mike Baker and Dan Milkman
formed a blues group named Blue Smoke Blues Band.
The band consisted of Mike, Dan and Bill Falk. Bill Falk had previously
played with Dan in a local rock band called Bleeding Heart and
the Delta Devils. They added a bass player by the name of Rob
Cooper from the Next Step band. Their first performance was booked
at a Laurel club called The Round Table. From that point, the
next gig was at a local Laurel club called Delaney's Pub. The
band was surprised by the supportive crowd that showed up at the
gig. The owner, Gino, told the band at the end of the night, that
he had the biggest night ever. He offered the band a weekly gig
known as Thursday Night Blues night. Each Thursday night that
Blue Smoke performed was packed. This went on for two years. Within
that two year period, the band gained high recognition throughout
the Baltimore-Washington corridor. They performed at such clubs
as: The Full Moon Saloon, Armadillo's, Jett's Vegas Lounge, The
Grog and Tankard, Dead Eye Saloon, The Baltimore Blues Festival,
Baltimore's Art Scape Festival, The Laurel Main Street Festival,
Concerts in the Park for the City of Laurel, and Columbia, Md.
fourth of July Festivities.
The band has now been together for sixteen years. Core members
remain Mike Baker, Dan Milkman, Leo Aspiras and Bill Falk. The
band utilizes a rotation of musicians including Pat Day on harmonica,
Jimmy Orr on keyboards, bass players Barry Novacell and Steve
Shaw and drummer, Kim Martin.
The
Idle Americans
A high-energy electric blues band from the Washington DC area.
Their mix of traditional and contemporary blues music has an original
sound that always fills the dance floor. This band has gained
a reputation for delivering highly charged and memorable performances
all around Virginia, Maryland and DC. The band features Waverly
Milor on harp and lead vocals, Steve Remy on electric guitar and
lead vocals, Steve “Wolf” Crescenze on bass, and Chris
Ruckman on drums, and our newest addition, Zach Sweeney on electric
guitar. Acme plays originals and covers going back through the
history of blues music.
Multiple
Wammie Award Nominees!
2007: Best Blues Band
2007: Best Blues Male Vocalist (Waverly Milor)
2006: Best Blues Recording ("I Think I Made It")
Waverly
Milor -- Harp & Lead Vocals
In addition to playing harp for ACME, he is the lyricist for ACME’s
wide range of originals. Wave is an active member of the DC Blues
Society and can be found around town sitting in with bands such
as Blues on Board, Daryl Davis Band and Tornado Alley.
Wave has jammed in such cities as Pittsburgh, Asheville &
Wilmington, NC, Portland (OR), Cookeville (TN) and in Copenhagen,
Denmark. In Oct. 2005, Wave performed at the 25th Annual King
Biscuit Blues Festival with Richard Johnston in West Helena, Arkansas.
Steve Remy
-- Guitar & Vocals
Steve is one of the founding members of ABC and has over 25 years
experience playing guitar (both lead and rhythm) for several bands
from Phoenix, Arizona to Washington DC to the Eastern Shore of
Southern Delaware.
Steve brings the blues alive with his fiery licks, and in his
playing, you can hear influences of Freddie King, Albert Collins,
Tommy Castro, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan just to name
a few. Steve plays from his heart and soul.
Chris Ruckman
-- Drums
Chris, a.k.a. Topher, has performed with CMLC, the Velvet Alley
Blues Band, the Red Brown and Blues and others. Topher knows how
to sound good, and he ought to because he has a PhD in acoustical
engineering. His influences include Vinnie Colaiuta, Chester Thompson
and Billy Lee Lewis.
Steve "Wolf"
Crescenze -- Bass Guitar & Vocals
Steve started playing bass in the DC area in the 1960s, most notably
touring with Sassafras Tea.
His playing and love of the blues began in the late 60's with
such influences as B.B.King, Paul Butterfield, John Mayall, Eric
Clapton and Cream. Recently, Wolf has performed with Big Boy Little,
Linwood Taylor, Clarence “The Bluesman” Turner, The
Skyla Burrell Band, One Bad Jack and DrMove.
