A special performance of Ladarke at 6:15pm Saturday in tribute to Margoleath Berman, unable to attend because of severe illness. We all hope she enjoyed this via Skype in the hospital. (YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rvl496OvC0k) Golden Festival is about music, but also relationships of PEOPLE coming together through music and dance.
Bill and Kimberly Cope (from CA) reunioning with Milka Doktorova (whom they had last seen in Bulgaria!) and me (from MA, but last seen by Copes at the Kolo Festival in San Francisco).
Welcome to the Grand Hall of the Grand Prospect Hall, Brooklyn. Pajdashi singing Croatian music.
I was happy to introduce these two friends of mine -- both Bulgarian, both graduates of Mount Holyoke College. Tessie (right) came regularly to Amherst International Folkdancing during her college years (2001-2005) and now lives in Brooklyn. Mimi graduated in 2010 and is now a graduate student at Dartmouth. Both were active in organizing Bulgarian dance events at the college (e.g., 2008 Kabilé concert and the International Club's 2005 Festival of Diversity).
Sheila and Mara
MWE playing Turko-Balkan folk dance music in Grand View room (4th floor). http://www.myspace.com/mwesf/
Note the instrument in Calvin Lai's hands: an erhu! Greg Jenkins, clarinet (center). MWE
MWE then moved to the middle of the floor, and Calvin played zurla
In the Rainbow Room (3rd floor), Novo Izvor was playing Macedonian village music. Bill Cope and Susan Anderson on gaida, Alan Zemel, tambura, Jerry Kisslinger, tupan and others...
Novo Izvor
Novo Izvor. Jeff Fine and Bridget Robbins on kaval. Kristina Vaskys and others on tambura.
Fishtank Ensemble ("cross pollinated gypsy music"). Fabrice Martinez, violin; Douglas Smolens, guitar; Ursula Knudson, violin, voice, and (see next photo) saw! http://www.facebook.com/Fishtank.Ensemble
Ursula Knudson playing a saw. Djordje Stijepovic, bass. Fishtank Ensemble.
Merita Halili, Polly Tapia Ferber, and Raif Huseni - Albanian urban folk music. See video by Rick Speer Raif and Polly also played upstairs in the Rainbow Room with Jesse Kotansky; see YouTube of Raif and Jesse.
Zlatne Uste Brass Band playing in the middle of the crowd in the Grand Ballroom. See next photo...
Zlatne Uste Brass Band surrounded by dancing fans, as seen from a balcony in the Grand Ballroom about 10:45pm
Dan Kollar and Ika Hallianto Budihastanto, volunteer "Stage Managers" for 4th floor Grand View performance space
Dragi Spasovski (right) and friends. FYR Macedonian traditional songs. Dragi said it was his first time at Golden Fest.
Zurli Društvo - Laine and Drew Harris playing zurlas, Jerry Kisslinger, tupan. Video of them playing a Beranche, a dance I really enjoyed.
Souren Baronian and Friends playing a hot set in the Rainbow room. The crowd loved them and wanted more. They played on. See YouTube video At the edge of the crowd the next band had assembled, waiting their turn...
As soon as Souren's group finished, the Raya Brass Band --standing to one side of the crowd --began playing.
Don Godwin of Raya Brass Band -- immersed in the crowd
Greg Squared, sax. Raya Brass Band. What a set! The band never moved an inch from where they started. The crowd just turned its attention from the stage (where Souren and Friends had just finished) and completely surrounded this brass band. HIGH energy!
And good tips! Raya Brass Band trumpeter Ben Syversen. The crowd was wildly enthusiastic. See some excellent photos by Oresti Tsonopoulos of this same session, and a video posted by Rick Speer. Also this YouTube video of the Raya Brass Band's finish and several numbers by the next group, Which Way East?
Kavala Brass Band playing Northern Greek music. Christos Govetas, Michael Ginsburg, Lefteris Bournias, Catherine Foster, Morgan Clark, Paul Brown, Jerry Kisslinger, Matt Moran (not shown- playing tupan at front of stage), and it looks like Rachel MacFarlane at the end on baritone horn.
It's 2:00 am and the party in the Grand Hall is led by What Cheer? Brigade. My camera didn't have enough light, and produced a very dark image. Later, on my computer I increased the exposure and discovered this black-and-white effect! For full color, see Margaret Loomis's photos
