Event
Hopmonk Hosts: Roma Festival Evening program May 2nd
Hopmonk eagerly anticipates the early evening arrival of scores of musicians, dancers, and festival-goers from the 13th Annual Herdeljezi Roma Festival for a concert program of Romani music on Saturday May 2nd. The time-honored music and dance procession replicates Mahala, the act of gathering the entire local community in Romani culture. Members of Brass Menazeri will lead the procession from Ives Park along with singer-drummer-dancer Sani Rifati and his son Benji, and then kick-off the eveningÂs musical program at Hopmonk.
The Brass Menazeri is an Award Winning Balkan Rom ("Gypsy") style brass band, performing hard driving music of Serbia, Macedonia & Greece. Brass MenaÂeri'spowerful live music drives some of the most fresh and exciting live shows in the Bay Area, including SF Weekly's "Best Crazed Gypsy Brass Band Dance Party," Kafana Balkan. It is no wonder they have crowded clubs screaming and boogying and begging for more.
Romani musicians from around the world will be at Hopmonk including Petra Gelbart performing with the amazing Kolpakov Trio which recently finished touring withMadonna; and the stellar line-up of Balkan Romani musicians: Percussionist Rumen Sali Shopov; Chris Bajmakovich (accordion), and Ismail Lumanovski (clarinet) withDjordje Stijepovic (upright bass) (Serbia) - guaranteed to have you out of your seats and dancing all night!).
The 13th Annual California Herdeljezi Festival takes place on Friday evening, May 1st and all day Saturday May 2nd in downtown Sebastopol. Celebrated for centuries by the Roma world-wide,Voice of Roma brings Herdeljezi to a much broader audience. The festival presents the music, dance, arts, and food of EuropeÂs largest ethnic minority whose roots reach back to 12th century Punjab (India). For more info about the festival visit: http://www.voiceofroma.com
Doors will open at 8:00 and Showtime starts at 9:00pm
Artist Bios:
KOLPAKOV TRIO:
Vadim Kolpakov mastered the Russian seven-string guitar, the vocal style and dance tradition of Russian Roma (Gypsy) music at an early age and is from the Saratov region of Russia. In 1995 he moved to Moscow to train with his uncle. He has toured internationally and recorded with the Kolpakov Trio, and in addition sings, dances and plays the guitar in his own group Via Romen, which he founded in the United States.
RUMEN SHOPOV
Rumen Shopov hails from Gotse Delchev, a crossroads town in southwest Bulgaria neighboring the borders of Greece and Macedonia. A master of the tambura (long necked mandolin), bouzouki, and an accomplished drummer and vocalist, Shopov was concertmaster of the Nevrokopski Folk Ensemble, Bulgaria's first national folk ensemble, for more than 20 years. He was also lead member of two of the Pirin region's hottest bands: Shturo Make and Orkestar Orbita. In 2002, he toured across America with the Kolev Family Ensemble. His music captures and showcases the sparkling fretwork, incendiary rhythms, and expressive soul of his native Bulgarian/Turkish-Romani musical tradition. Shopov has been artistic consultant to three previous VOR-International Roma Day celebrations.
ISMAIL LUMANOVSKI
Ismail Lumanovski was born in Bitola, Macedonia, and began playing the clarinet at age 9. He made his debut in 1998 with the Macedonian Philharmonic, and his USdebut in 2002 as the principal clarinetist with the World Youth Symphony Orchestra at Interlochen Arts Camp. Currently a member of the Julliard Symphony Orchestra, he has won many competitions and awards, including first prize at the 23rd, 24th and 25th National Macedonian Clarinet competition. Lumanovski has given numerous concerts in France, Belgium, Germany, Bulgaria, Turkey and the US, and recently toured internationally with world renowned oude player Marcel Khalife.
CHRIS BAJMAKOVICH
Chris Bajmakovich, born in Chicago into a Macedonian Rom family, began playing accordion at age 5. He first professionally performed with a band at age 14, and gave solo performances in smaller venues, playing at weddings, christenings, church dances, and private parties, primarily in the large Balkan immigrant communities ofChicago. He also toured throughout the US with Macedonian singers. Bajmakovich has performed with many well-known musicians, including Ferus Mustafov, Milan Zavkov and Sasko Velkoy. He performed at VOR's 2006 International Roma Day event and has recorded several CDs.
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.
DJORDJE STIJEPOVIC
Djordje Stijepovic (10 of June 1977, Belgrade, Serbia) started to study music when he was 11 years old. He finished classical upright bass at Conservatory of Music inBelgrade and finished jazz department for upright bass and arranging. He also studied with professors like Vojin Draskoci, Miroslav Gajdos, Klaus Trumpf, Anders Jormin and other jazz and classical musicians. HeÂs special interested in traditional music of Balkan and Middle East. He recorded/played with numerous rockabilly (Atomic Sunset, Havana Whisper, Neon KingsÂ), world music (Balkan Music Club, Marsya, Shira Utfila, KalÂ), jazz (Ivan Svager band, Blue BossaÂ), classical (Youth Philharmonic ÂBorislav PascanÂ, Macedonian Youth String Orchestra...) and other groups (Belle Monroe & her Brewglass Boys, Tim Barsky, Kid Beyond, Sofine2Â). He played at numerous international festivals (Music Festival of Delphi, Belef, Bemus, Belgrade Jazz Festival, Novi Sad Jazz Festival, Black Sea Gesher, Sabac Blues and Jazz Festival, Exit, Esperansa, Grand National RodeoÂ). From 2002 heÂs researching history of slap technique on the upright bass. He lives in San Francisco, California and Belgrade,Serbia from January 2004.
It is the mission of Voice of Roma (VoR) to promote and present Romani cultural arts and traditions in a way that counters both romanticized and negative "Gypsy" stereotypes, and in so doing, to contribute to the preservation of Romani identity and culture. VoR also works to heighten awareness of human rights issues faced by Roma in today's world, and to support efforts by Roma to (re)build and maintain their communities, improve their lives, and to strengthen the Romani voice both nationally and internationally. Our mission is accomplished through organizing and implementing cultural arts, educational, economic development, and charitable projects for and about Roma.. Voice of Roma (VoR) was founded in 1996 and incorporated as a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization in 1999.
Cost for the Hopmonk portion of the celebration is $10.00
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LocationHopmonk Tavern
230 Petaluma Ave
Sebastopol, CA 95472
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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