Balkan Ensemble Meraklii with Rumen Sali Shopov
Dance performance with Jessaiah Zure
Saturday, June 18, 6:30 pm
Ashby Arts Space
2035 Ashby Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94703
Doors open at 6 pm; Venue closes at 10 pm
Admission: $20 All Ages
Face mask and proof of vaccination required for entry. All Ages.
Bay Area-based Balkan Ensemble Merkalii & Rumen Sali Shopov pick you up and spin you around with their energetic Balkan and Romani dance tunes!
Rumen “Sali” Shopov is a master Turkish-Romani drummer, singer, and tambura player from Goce Delchev, Bulgaria, a crossroads town in the Pirin Mountain region that hosts a rich intersection of Bulgarian, Macedonian, Greek, and Turkish musical influences.
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We are thrilled to welcome visiting artist Jessaiah Zure, who specializes in Turkish Roman style bellydance.
Jessaiah Zuré, is a Bay Area native now based in the Pacific Northwest. She will be reunited with Merakli, with whom she played davul within the ensemble. She and Rumen Sali Shopov have performed together on many stages and it is a joy for her to be invited to dance with this group. Since the first time she heard Roma music, she has travelled to study and live within the culture – enjoying the live music and dancing, celebratory weddings, and the many great customs, arts and food! Stay tuned for more information on a dance workshop with Jessaiah earlier in the day.
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Jessaiah Zuré comes from the beautiful traditions that the unique Bay Area offers with its strong community of musicians and dancers who study, perform, educate and keep alive the diverse cultures from around the world. Blessed to have stumbled into Katarina Burda’s classroom over 20 years ago, that opened up a portal to her like no other, Jessaiah began “bellydancing” learning the music and dance styles of Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, the Roma people, Turkey and the Balkans. She ALWAYS continues to seek out the experiences to learn and understand these cultures music, dance and customs – always looking to the source with reverence and awe. Notably her teachers include: Katarina Burda, Jamila Salimpour, Reyhan Tuzsuz, Stefka Kamburova, Henna, and Sahra Kent. With the encouragement and inspiration from her teachers and peers to “go to the source” she quickly found herself in Istanbul where the Turkish Roman music and dance flourishes. Her heart beat to that 9/8 rhythm and this was soon recognized by the locals as this led her to be a featured dancer at weddings, clubs, theaters and movies!
Berkeley Balkan Bacchanal is hosted by Ashby Arts Space.
To RSVP, go www.ashbyarts.org, donate to their gofundme page, and present a screenshot of your donation at the door along with your vaccination card and ID. All the proceeds will go to fund Ashby Arts Space and to pay the musicians.
Information: peterbonos@gmail.com, ashby.arts.space@gmail.com
Berkeley Balkan Bacchanal 