Evento

San Francisco Tamburitza Festival

This event showcases the best tamburitza music in California and presents nationally renowned orchestras. The festival is highlighted by rare west coast performances by Sarena, the all women, hall of fame tamburitza group from Cleveland. The lute like tamburitza is a beloved folk instrument of the Balkans, It is celebrated at this annual festival that rocks the Croatian Center with a full day of singing, dancing polkas, waltzes and circle dances, food, fun, workshops and concerts. Also performing is the Slavonian Traveling Band with Lilla Serlegi, Sidro, Eszterlanc Hungarian Dancers and St. Anthony's Tamburica Orchestra.

*Origin of the Tambura:

Tambura's origins can be traced back to Europe the mid-1800s, when along the central Danube River and its tributaries, tamburasi (tambura musicians) began to form ensembles. While it is believed that Hungarian Roma were the first to play tambura instruments in groups modeled on their famous violin ensembles, the first known ensemble was formed in 1847 in Osijek in eastern Croatia. They played a repertoire much like that known today: Croatian folk songs, and circle dances, folk songs and dances from neighboring peoples, light classical songs and instrumental pieces, and popular music of the day.

The first tambura ensemble in San Francisco was organized in 1902 when Ilar Spiletak, a carpenter from Dubrovnik, started the Tamburitza Orkestar "Zvonimir"