Advance tickets available from the Ashkenaz front desk on show nights or online from Ticketweb or call 1-866-666-8932.

Show line: (510) 525-5054

Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center
1317 San Pablo @ Gilman in Berkeley

Ample parking across the street in the REI parking lot. Wheelchair accessible. All ages all the time.

Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center is a non-profit, tax-exempt community organization supported by patrons, donors, staff, musicians and volunteers.

Colored type color denotes events with touring artists.

Thursday, January 1
CLOSED

Friday, January 2
MOH ALILECHE with LES AMIS DANCERS
Doors at 8:30 p.m.; show at 9:00 p.m.
$13
Two years after the release of his first CD, "Tragedy", Algerian singer and mondol player Moh Alileche performs music of Kabylia with his band, singers and dancers. Alilech writes songs of his people in the folk traditions, as exemplified by the music on his two CDs, "Tragedy" and "The Source of Water." In addition to original compositions, Alilech performs reworkings of traditional North African Amazigh (Berber) songs, mixing instrumentals and vocal numbers on an array of topics (the CDs include English translations). Alileche's band features qanun player Mimi Spencer, percussionists Tim Fuson and Bouchaib Abdelhadi, and violinist Thea Farhadian. Les Amis dancers join them for part of the evening. http:// www.flagoffreedom.com

Saturday, January 3
DUBWIZE and FIRME with DJ SPLIFF SKANKIN
Doors at 8:00 p.m.; DJ SPLIFF SKANKIN at 8:30; show at 9:30 p.m.
$13
The two reggae-Latin bands from the South Bay are treating this dance as the real New Year's celebration, and bill it as their Reggae Latin Explosion, to emphasize their shared stylistic blend of reggae and Latin American sounds. From the Salinas Valley, Dubwize is a nine-member roots rock reggae band with Latin beats added to its sound, aided by percussion and horns. Last summer Dubwize shared stages with such world reggae acts as Burning Spear, Midnite, Culture, Israel Vibration and Yellow Man. http://www.dubwizemusic.com

San Jose reggae-salsa band Firme opens the show. Renowned KPFA-FM DJ Spliff Skankin provides before, between and after conscious recorded music.

Sunday, January 4
LOVE THEATRE PRESENTS A FUNDRAISER FOR
KORAN JENKINS
Doors at 6:30 p.m.; show at 7:00 p.m.
$7-$12 sliding scale
This benefit is organized by many parents of Camp Winnarainbow kids under the moniker "Love Theater Presents," to help with expenses for Berkeley's Koran Jenkins and his family since he was burned over more than 20 percent of his body in a fire two months ago. Jenkins, 13, is recovering, slowly, but his family is strapped for funds. So the extended community family is gathering to honor Koran and raise money for him. Performers include Camp Winnarainbow's chief clown Wavy Gravy, the Original Action Pack (funny improv), hip-hopper Rashidi, Silver, poets, DJ Kemrex, Wordslanger, Zappo, Rudi Mwongozi, B.U.D. and crew, M.A.C. (a group with Koran and his brother) doing one song, and Wadi Gad.

Monday, January 5
No Evening Performance

Tuesday, January 6
TRIBUTE TO BABATUNDE OLATUNJI WITH ARSENIO KOUNDE
Doors at 8:00 p.m.; show at 8:30 p.m.
$9
Master drummer Arsenio Kounde offers an evening of West African drumming and percussion in celebration of the life of Babatunde Olatunji, who introduced African drumming and in good measure world music to American audiences through his 1960 Columbia Records LP, "Drums of Passion," which is still in print on CD. From Nigeria, Olatunji led one of the world's great bands of African music until his recent death, and over the decades performed in duets, on records and in bands with the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, who also produced an '80s album by him. Born in Benin, Kounde takes tonight to celebrate Olatunji's life and his great contribution to world music awareness. Kounde has long been an associate of many of Africa's greatest names and has performed or recorded with Oumou Sangare, Mory Kante, Sam Mangwana, the Soukous Stars, Ricardo Lemvo, Nahawa Dumbia and Angelique Kidjo.

Wednesday, January 7
RHYTHM DOCTORS
Doors at 8:30 p.m.; show at 9 p.m.
$9

Thursday, January 8
GRATEFUL DEAD DJ NIGHT WITH DIGITAL DAVE
10:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
$6
Spin with Digital Dave's Grateful Dead tunes.

Friday, January 9
THE VOWEL MOVEMENT: A BEATBOX SHOWCASE HOSTED BY ANDREW CHAIKIN & TIM BARSKY
Doors at 8:00 p.m.; show at 8:30 p.m.
$10 advance/$12 door

Featuring:
Infinite and Soulati from Felonious
Kid Beyond
Tim Barsky
Each
Cornbread
The Schmaltzendrops
and from Hamburg Germany,
the MCs and DJs of Trainingslager Bouncesystem

Beatboxing is the art of making rhythms, grooves and sound effects using the human voice. Considered the "fifth element of hip hop," this form of vocal percussion originated in urban American communities in the early 80's -- on street corners, in stairwells, schoolyards, and small clubs -- and has been hiding underground for years. Now, in the same way that DJ'ing and turntablism swept the world in the 90's, beatboxing is exploding.

The Vowel Movement was created to support the art of beatboxing in the Bay Area and beyond. Their monthly showcases in San Francisco have drawn capacity crowds of all races and ethnicities, from teenagers to senior citizens.

Each month, The Vowel Movement features some of the best beatboxers in the Bay Area; sets up collaborations with instrumentalists, vocalists, and other performers; and provides an open mike for new talent. It offers a supportive space for these unique performers to try out new work, connect with other artists, and find new audiences.

Now, The Vowel Movement comes to Ashkenaz, hosted by Andrew Chaikin (aka Kid Beyond), formerly of the a cappella funk band The House Jacks, and master storyteller and beatbox-flute pioneer Tim Barsky.

The Ashkenaz show will feature a selection of Vowel Movement regulars:
- Felonious' Infinite and Soulati, who have shared the stage with the Black Eyed Peas, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Mary J. Blige, George Clinton, and many more;
- Kid Beyond, who samples and multitracks himself live onstage, weaving together beatboxing, singing, throat singing, scratching and other "voicestrumentation";
- Tim Barsky, who will astound you by beatboxing and playing flute at the same time;
- and the under-21 up-and-comers Each, Cornbread, and Schmaltzendrops.

After the Vowel Movement, stick around and dance to the MCs and DJs of Trainingslager Bouncesystem, Hamburg's premier hip-hop/funk crew, in a rare Bay Area performance.
http://www.thevowelmovement.com
http://www.kidbeyond.com
http://www.timbarsky.com

Saturday, January 10
THE AUX CAJUNALS with special guest Ed Littlefield on steel guitar
Doors at 8:00 p.m.; Cajun dance lesson with Patti Whitehurst at 8:30 p.m.; show at 9:30 p.m.
$13
Once a side project for its four members to relax and do music they enjoyed without having to do a show or more pop-oriented Cajun music, the Aux Cajunals is one of the best traditional Cajun bands around. Only thing is, they rarely perform. It's been more than two years since their last Ashkenaz appearance. The other fun thing is, it gives guitarist Eric Thompson and fiddler Suzy Thompson (founders of such bands as California Cajun Orchestra and Bluegrass Intentions) a chance to switch from their regular instruments to fiddle and accordion, respectively. They are joined by fiddler Agi Ban (of such bands as Cocodril and Queen Ida) and guitarist Alan Senauke. While they don't use drums or bass or electric instruments, the Aux Cajunals play rootsy and hard driving Cajun dance music. In addition to the old Louisiana Cajun and Creole classics, they mix in some original songs in the tradition, and all sing. While the Thompsons seem to start new bands every free moment they get, Ban owns Ashby Chiropractic, and Zen priest Senauke, when not playing in bluegrass bands, is a leader of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. Aux Cajunals is one soulful band. http:// www.bluegrassintentions.com/auxcajunals.htm

Sunday, January 11
TA KE TI NA WORKSHOP WITH ZORINA WOLF
3:00-6:00 p.m.
$35
Led by Zorina Wolf, a master of Ta Ke Ti Na and local drum and percussion instructor. This rhythm workshop provides principles and techniques that aren't found in regular music approaches and that also can be applied to other areas of one's life. According to Ta Ke Ti Na founder Reinhard Flatischler, "Learning can be a magic, joyful and powerful process that allows us to use our innate instincts and our natural abilities to explore the world around us and within us." Ta Ke Ti Na's principles "can revive our primal fascination with the process of learning." Wolf has been playing the drum for 14 years and teaching half that time.

Through the mentoring of the late African drum master Babatunde Olatunji, she discovered the importance of fostering drum communities based on cooperative teaching and learning. Students are asked to bring mats, blankets or a rug to lie on. E-mail: zorina@villageheartbeat.com

Monday, January 12
CLOSED

Tuesday, January 13
EDESSA and THE TOIDS
Doors at 7:30 p.m.; Balkan dance lesson with Nancy Klein at 8:00 p.m.; show at 9:00 p.m.
$9
One of the area's premier Balkan bands for more than a decade, with members who have dedicated their lives to the music, Edessa plays music from Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Armenia, and Turkey, and music of the Balkan Roma (Gypsy).

Having devoted decades to the study and performance of the deep and rich cultural expressions of the southern Balkans, the musicians in Edessa play with a deep understanding of the connection between dance and music. Using both traditional and modern instruments, they perform in a variety of styles, featuring long sets that interweave melodies and improvisation and a beat with dancers in mind. The sounds of the ensemble include the ancient and mesmerizing music of the zurna and davul; the lyrical and sweet music of the Greek islands; the haunting, trance-like pentatonic music of Epirus; and-at the other end of the acoustic spectrum-the sizzling, contemporary Bulgarian fusion known simply as "wedding music."

Edessa is Dan Auvil on davul (double-headed drum), darabuka (hand drum), and defi (frame drum); Paul Brown on acoustic and electric bass; George Chittenden on clarinet, saxophone, gaida (bagpipe), zurna (shawm) and guitar; violinist Ari Langer; and Lise Liepman on santouri (hammered dulcimer) and accordion.

The Toids are a recent and exciting arrival on the Bay Area scene, young Balkanized musicians who take an almost punk approach to Balkan traditions (they did go to Balkan camp, so at least they know the traditions), with mostly original tunes, lots of energy, and at heart the right rhythms. What the Toids have done so naturally (in concert and on their debut CD) is apply generations-old music to their own lives in the new millennium, without losing or disrespecting their elders. As the band explains, "Our music contains its own evolution...while the color draws from Rom, Bulgarian, Greek, Romanian and Hungarian sources, the body and composition of the music come from our own lives and experiences." The musicians have been on the scene for years in other groupings: accordionist and saw player Dan Cantrell, violinist Lila Sklar, guitarist and bouzouki player Ryan Francesconi, bassist Bill Lanphier, and percussionist Jerry Summers. http:// www.toids.org

Wednesday, January 14
BILLY DUNN & BLUESWAY
Doors at 7:30 p.m.; Swing dance lesson with Nick & Shanna at 8:00 p.m.; show at 9:00 p.m.
$9
Nick & Shanna's West Coast Swing dance lesson leads to live dance music from San Francisco bluesman Billy Dunn and his high energy band performing dance-oriented originals, classic blues and R&B tunes. Singer and keyboardist Dunn has been a bandleader for twenty years. At the height of the swing revival in the mid-'90s he regularly received awards, including the West Coast Swing Dance Association's 1995 proclamation of Dunn as best Northern California swing dance band. The Bluesway Revue -- a quartet featuring Dunn, sax and rhythm section -- has performed for numerous luminaries including President Clinton.

Thursday, January 15
BENEFIT FOR THE BERKELEY HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ ENSEMBLE
Doors at 7:00 p.m.; show at 7:30 p.m.
$10 single, $15 couples, $5 student/senior
In its first Ashkenaz performance in two years, the Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble and its combos demonstrate why the award-winners have reaped the biggest accolades in the past year. The full 26-member big band will play early in the evening, between the two small combos, to make sure everyone can see the group on a school night. Last summer the bands performed at both the Vienne, France, music festival, and Montreux Jazz Festival. After being chosen the top high school band in the nation by the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Ensemble performed on the mainstage at the September Monterey Jazz Festival. While it has often placed in the top three at Monterey, this was the first time in at least a decade it had been named No. 1. Three members are also in the SF Jazz Festival's All Star High School Ensemble (with members from 13 high schools around the Bay Area; Berkeley is the most-represented). Under the direction of Charles Hamilton for the past 22 years, the Berkeley High Jazz Ensemble plays bebop, post bop and big band classics with a vigor and adventurousness rarely found in a school program. At a time when school budgets are being cut even deeper, this concert is a benefit for the school's music program, for the band's scholarship fund, and for the much-needed instrument fund. http://www.berkeleyhighjazz.org.

Friday, January 16
LAVAY SMITH & HER RED HOT SKILLET LICKERS
WITH SPECIAL LECTURE BY FRANKIE MANNING, THE AMBASSADOR OF LINDY HOP
Lecture and films 7:30 - 9:30 p.m., music at 9:30 p.m. (no dance lesson)
$13
This once-only event is the ultimate opportunity for any fan of swing dancing. Frankie Manning, now 89, popularized swing's most popular dance, the Lindy Hop, starting at Harlem's Savoy Ballroom in the '30s and '40s, then touring the country with Whitey's Lindy Hoppers. He talks about his experiences and shows historic film clips.

In addition to Manning's lecture, this concert is also a CD release party for Smith's alto saxophonist Bill Stewart's new album, "Blues, Ballads & Be Bop."

Before swing became a national craze, jazz vocal stylist Lavay Smith and her band were making music as sharp and irresistible as her period costumes that recall the pinup girls of the Forties. More than a decade later they are still the Bay Area's hottest swing attraction, as well as that rarity that sounds as good as it looks. Big, bluesy-voiced Smith has deservedly raked in national attention from network television to NPR, and Johnny Otis proclaims that "she and her band are a breath of fresh air!" Multiple award winners, Smith and her Lickers present not only the best dressed but also one of the most exciting shows of East Coast Swing and Lindy Hop dance music, as well as sultry torch songs. http://www.lavaysmith.com

Saturday, January 17
SAMBA NGO & THE NGOMA PLAYERS
Doors at 9:00 p.m.; show at 9:30 p.m.
$13
Congolese singer Samba Ngo leads his band through a steamy, hot and happy African-rock-funk-jazz fusion of soukous dance music, driven by his voice and electric guitar as well as plenty of percussion, and songs from his recently-released new CD, "Ndoto."

Samba Ngo is an internationally known singer/songwriter/guitarist who has released 19 records in Europe and the United States. He has sung and played on numerous albums with other praised musicians, including Bill Summers (Headhunters: Evolution Revolution, 2003 and The Essence of Kwanzaa, 1997). His music has also appeared on several compilations, including Putumayo's Africa; Music of the World's Global Voices: A Vox Set; Shanachie's African Heartbeat: The Essential African Music Collection; and Ashkenaz's Ashkenaz Celebrates 30 Years.

A young member of several bands in his homeland, for the past decade Ngo has led his own groups. While "Ndoto" is more a solo project focused on folk-themed songs close to his heart, he performs them in full band instrumentation for dancing at Ashkenaz, closer to the style of his previous CD, "Metamorphosis," released on Nashville's Compass Records (run by former Bay Area banjo player Alison Brown). Raised in a tiny village, Ngo was the son of an herb doctor (nganga) who taught him the rhythm used for healing rituals. Since then Ngo has used his music as a healing force. He sings in French, Lingala and Kikongo, and occasionally in English, and in addition to electric guitar plays drums and likembe, the Congo's thumb piano.

For this concert Ngo's band includes Kathleen Maguire on vocals; Dennis Smith on bass; Mbor Faye on djembe, mu ngongoma, shakere, ngongi; Ron Van Leeuwaarde on vocals, electric & acoustic guitar; Salif Kone on balafon, and Jayn Pettingill on sax and flute. http://www.samba-ngo.com

Sunday, January 18
ISRAELI GOLDEN OLDIES FOLK DANCE
1:30 - 5:30 p.m.
$5
It's four hours of all-request classic Israeli dancing including some teaching led by Allen King.
Bring potluck snacks and drinks.

evening:
FLAMENCO OPEN STAGE FEATURING GRUPO ANDANZA
Doors at 7:00 p.m.; show at 7:30 p.m.
$9
This regular feature at Ashkenaz presents flamenco "in an intimate, cabaret setting, as it should be seen," with a costume exhibit and sale of flamenco items.

Wednesday, January 21
HIP HOP/CONSCIOUS ROOTS REGGAE ARTIST "WISDOM"
Opening band: Serendipity Project
Doors at 8:00 p.m.; show at 8:30 p.m.
$9
Vocalist, lyricist and composer Wisdom has been active on the reggae circuit, working with some of the top names in the field, and recording a debut 17-song CD, "Wisdom," that features his voice in an array of settings, from reggae to hip-hop, Latin fusion and electronic dance music. While the settings shift, the uplifting message of Wisdom's music is the unifying factor, as is his universal message. Over the past three years Wisdom has opened concerts for everyone from Spearhead to the Roots and Jimmy Cliff. He has performed at Reggae on the River, the Health and Harmony Fair, the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, and toured up and down the West Coast as well as New York. He combines conscious reggae lyrics with political and spiritual themes. He also performs with the band Medicine Drum and has been on their recordings.

Thursday, January 22
GRATEFUL DEAD DJ NIGHT WITH DIGITAL DAVE
10:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
$6
Spin with Digital Dave's Grateful Dead tunes.

Friday, January 23
DE ROMPEY Y RAJA
Doors at 8 p.m.; Afro-Peruvian dance lesson with Lalo Izquierdo at 8:30 p.m.; show at 9:30 p.m.
$13
De Rompe y Raja was founded in 1995 as a cultural organization dedicated to preserving and promoting Afro-Peruvian traditions and culture from the costal region of Peru.

De Rompe y Raja performed at the 1996, 1999, 2000, and 2001 San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festivals.

Saturday, January 24
NATURAL VIBRATIONS and ONE GROOVE and master of ceremonies, MARTY DREAD
Doors at 9:00 p.m.; show at 9:30 p.m.
$13
Two Hawaiian bands share the stage in this night of roots reggae. After ten years playing reggae, Hawaii's Natural Vibrations scored its biggest hit not only in the islands, but its fourth CD , "The Circle" has moved high into the Billboard international reggae chart. The sextet has played at Reggae on the River and was invited by Carlos Santana to open his New Year's Eve concert. Launched in 1992 by mostly high school buddies, Natural Vibrations mixes politics and good times in its original songs. "You can hear hardcore roots reggae in every one of our songs," says drummer Stacy Medeiros. "We're not a pop band that plays reggae or a Jawaiian band that fakes Rastafarian. We're playing real reggae music that appeals to true reggae fans." In addition to Medeiros, Natural Vibrations is keyboardist Shane Abraham, guitarist Wayne Enos, bassist Jehua Evans, percussionist Kayton Macariola and singer Penidean "Peni" Pua'auli.

One Groove is based in the Bay Area, although its members were all born and raised in Hawaii. They did not meet each other until they were living here and attending Menlo College.

Sunday, January 25
Kids' show with BABA KEN & THE NIGERIAN BROTHERS
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
$4 kids; $6 adults (babies under 1 free)
An acoustic concert for children and grownups as well, filled with singing and telling stories from the villages of West Africa. Baba Ken Okulolo (leader of Kotoja and West African Highlife Band) and his fellow Nigerian Brothers put together their memories of traditional West African folk music and highlife songs, bringing them to life with their harmonious voices, African guitar stylings, and hand percussion instruments. Together, they recreate the sweet, lilting sounds of their earliest village memories. This gentle but rhythmic music is a special treat for those who seek an authentic African sound. http://www.africanmusicsource.com/nigerian_brothers

evening:
ALEXANDRIA & THE NEAR EASTERN DANCE COMPANY PRESENT
A NIGHT OF EGYPTIAN MUSIC & DANCE WITH REDA DARWISH
Doors at 7:30 p.m.; show at 8:00 p.m.
$15
San Francisco-based Egyptian drummer Reda Darwish performs Egyptian music for listening and dancing, much as he has on his growing string of recordings, including the recent "Halawah," named for a sweet sesame candy dessert. Darwish mixes folkloric pieces with more pop-oriented arrangements, and tunes draw not only from the new CD but such past releases as "Reda - Walk with the Moon," "Ya Safaam Ya Reda," "Reda's Flower" and "Reda - valley of the Kings." Alexandria and the Near Eastern Dance Company will be performing Egyptian belly dances to Darwish's music. http://clonecomics.com/ghawazee.com/

Monday, January 26
VISTA COLLEGE CLASS
'Jazz, Blues and Popular Music in American Culture' with Instructor / R&B Legend Johnny Otis.
Registration and Info @ 510 981-2800 http://www.peralta.cc.ca.us/
6:30 p.m. - Front Studio

Tuesday, January 27
TEE FEE SWAMP BOOGIE
Doors at 7:30 p.m.; dance lesson with Annie Marie Howard at 8:00 p.m.; show at 8:30 p.m.
$9
One of Northern California's main Cajun-zydeco bands over the past decade, the women-led Tee Fee has a reputation for playing infectious, happy swamp boogie and blues dance music that mixes as much highly charged electric blues as Cajun roots into its shows, and tops it off with rich vocal harmonies. The East Bay's major outdoor concert producer Russ Jennings explains, "Their music is just hip enough, and just traditional enough, to keep the gray hairs and the green hairs up and dancing all night long." With two CDs of mostly original music available -- "Hey Tee Fee" and "Don't Let It Get You!" -- the quintet features singer-fiddler-accordionist Annie Marie Howard Byrd, bassist-singer Linda Schmidt, rubboard player and singer Maureen Coyle, drummer-singer Kelvin Dixon, and guitarist-singer Leonard W. Gill. Tonight's performance includes songs from their in- progress third CD. http://www.teefeeswampboogie.com

Wednesday, January 28
ZA'ATAR
Doors at 7:30 p.m.; show at 8:00 p.m.
$9
Formed in 1997 by local musicians to play the music of the Jews of Arab and Muslim lands, Za'atar rarely performs. This is its first Ashkenaz appearance in three years. And yet it makes some of the most hauntingly beautiful music of any band, especially on its CD, "Mizrah" (the Hebrew word for "east"). With such Middle Eastern instruments as saz, ney, darbuka, oud, kanun joined by violin and bass, and spiritually intoned vocals, Za'atar performs traditional and modern songs, the sacred and social music of the people of Morocco, Yemen, Turkey, Syria, Iraq and other lands where Jews and Arabs lived together, sharing a common musical heritage. The group has been featured from the Berkeley Jewish Music Festival to Los Angeles' World Sacred Music festival. http://www.zaatar.web.com/

Thursday, January 29
GRATEFUL DEAD DJ NIGHT WITH DIGITAL DAVE
10:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
$6
Spin with Digital Dave's Grateful Dead tunes.

Friday, January 30
HAMSA LILA

Doors at 8:30 p.m.; show at 9:00 p.m.
$15
Acoustic trance ensemble Hamsa Lila has racked up an impressive list of performances in its short existence, from New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, to opening for Jane's Addiction and Spearhead, to String Cheese Incident's Summer Camp. String Cheese's Michael Travis says, "What makes Hamsa Lila's tapestry of rhythm so undeniable is that no one person is playing for themselves, they are all completely dedicated to playing for the music, for the one sound." That one sound is a combination of jam band mindset, spiritual journey music and dance grooves. Their show often includes costuming, slide shows, belly dancing, African and capoeira movement, even fire dancers, all with music provided by male and female chanters, flutes, world wind instruments, saxophone and African drums. The resultant mix has been compared to everything from North African trance music, to that of Fela Kuti and even Pharaoh Sanders. http://hamsalila.com/

Saturday, January 31
BAKSHEESH BOYS and BRASS MENAGERIE
Doors at 7:30 p.m.; Balkan dance lesson with Lise Liepman at 8:00 p.m.; show at 9:00 p.m.
$13
In the realm of Balkan music, Brass Menagerie is the Bay Area's leading Balkan brass band, purveying horns-out-front, high-energy, sometimes stretchy, usually danceable music of Serbia, Greece, and Macedonia. The nine musicians have been together two years, although most have played in other Balkan bands far longer. Their experience brings a mature and authentic sound to Brass Menagerie.

Baksheesh Boys are string-and-percussion oriented. Formed in 2001 at Mendocino's annual summer Balkan camp, the group performs traditional songs and dances from the historic regions of Macedonia and Thrace. The songs come mainly from current Salvs and Roma (Gypsy) people living in present day Macedonia and Bulgaria, and adjacent areas of Greece, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia, Roumania and Turkey. Former director o the UCLA Bulgarian Women's Choir, Angela Rodel sings, plays tambura and electric guitar; along with fiddler Linda Kodaira; Pat MacSwyney on tambura, dzjumbus and kavals; darabuka and def player Jerry Summers; bassist Bill Lanphier and Brian Fox on gajda, tambura, electric guitar and bass.