Saxophonist Yuri Yunakov was born in Haskovo, southeastern Bulgaria, of Turkish Romani (Gypsy) ancestry and currently lives in the New York City area. He comes…
Artist Profiles: Yuri Yunakov
Tag: Balkan music
Eastern European Ecstasies
A term like “Eastern European music” gets bandied about by many, including me. It’s one of those convenient generalizations used to cover a category that’s…
Old Time Balkan from Lapland
Jaakko Laitinen & Väärä Raha – Näennäinen (Playground Music, 2016) Jaakko Laitinen and his band Väärä Raha hail from Lapland in northern Finland and they…
Srdjan Beronja’s World Music Gallery
Srdjan Beronja – Sounds of the East Music from the Balkans, India & the Middle East (ARC Music EUCD2696, 2017) When music listeners and explorers…
Artist Profiles: Ara Dinkjian
Ara Dinkjian is an Armenian oud virtuoso born in the United States in 1958. His earliest professional musical experience was accompanying his father Onnik Dinkjian,…
Artist Profiles: Balkan Beat Box
Balkan Beat Box (BBB) blends electronic music, hip hop beats, and hard-edged folk music from the Balkans, North Africa, and the Middle East. BBB is…
Ismail Lumanovski, Tamer Pinarbasi & Ara Dinkjian to Perform at Roulette
The Secret Trio is set to perform at Roulette on Saturday, December 3, 2016. The Secret Trio is an ensemble featuring three remarkable musicians rooted…
A Look at Vienna’s Music Scene
Various Artists – Radio Vienna – Sounds from the 21st Century (Galileo MC GMC065 CD, 2016) This compilation intends to provide a look at some…
Hot Balkan Brass
Džambo Aguševi Orchestra – Brass Like it Hot – Fast & Furious Balkan Brass (Arc Music EUCD2666, 2016) The Džambo Aguševi Orchestra is an exciting…
Artist Profiles: Afenginn
Afenginn is a Balkan-Scandinavian quintet from Denmark featuring mandolin, clarinets, violin, electric bass and drums. Virtuosic and original, they categorize their style as folk-based bastard-ethno.…