Voice of Roma Herdeljezi Festival
Saturday, May 3

Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center
1317 San Pablo Ave. Berkeley, CA

Join us for Voice of Roma’s annual springtime celebration of Romani music, dance and culture: Herdeljezi Romani Festival on May 3 at Ashkenaz.

We regret to inform you that Dzambo Agusevi, our former headliner, had to cancel due to a family health emergency. We look forward to bringing him back on tour again to California next year. Fortunately, we still have a talented line up of performers and teachers and are pleased to announce Balkan brass band Fanfare Zambaleta will be closing out the festival showcase.

Our all-day festival at Ashkenaz culminates in an evening concert and dance party featuring, Fanfare Zambaleta, Stevens Family “Gypsy Boys” and a special program of the songs of Šaban Bajramović performed by Šaban Forever featuring Šani Rifati, Peter Stan, Marco Ghezzo and Dušan Ristić. Rumen Sali Shopov Balkan Ensemble Meraklii open the show at 7:30 pm, following a free Romani dance lesson led by Šani Rifati.

A free panel discussion beginning at 4:30 pm with the artists will cover current events concerning the human rights of Roma communities amidst shifting political climates. Afternoon workshops for brass musicians, percussionists, dancers and singers are offered to festival goers, also at Ashkenaz. 

Tickets: $30 presale, $35 at door; Students: $25 presale, $30 at door
Workshop registration (cost per session): $20 presale, $25 at door; Students: $15 presale, $20 at door

Afternoon Workshops:
1:00-2:15 pm: Drum workshop with Rumen Sali Shopov
2:30-3:45 PM: Singing workshop with Carol Silverman and Sani Rifati
4:00-5:15 pm: Brass workshop with Benji Rifati and Evan Stuart

Evening Program:
5:30 pm: Free Panel Discussion with artists and Voice of Roma representatives
6:30 pm: Free Dance workshop with Šani Rifati
7:30 pm: Balkan Ensemble Meraklii with Rumen Sali Shopov
8:30 pm: Šaban Forever: Songs of Šaban Bajramović performed by Šani Rifati, Peter Stan, Dušan Ristić, Marco Ghezzo and Javi Jimenez.
9:30 pm: Stevens Family “Gypsy Boys”
10:30 pm-midnight: Fanfare Zambaleta

Tickets:
General: $30 presale, $35 at door; Students: $25 presale, $30 at door
Workshop registration (cost per session): General: $20 presale, $25 at door; Students: $15 presale, $20 at door. Kids under age 12 are be admitted free of cost.

Additional opportunities for instrumental instruction can be arranged with festival artists, including participation in multi-instrumental group lessons led by Peter Stan (accordion) and Marco Ghezzo (violin). Contact festival production manager Peter Bonos, peterbonos@gmail.com for further information, including volunteer opportunities. Copresented by Berkeley Balkan Bacchanal and Ashkenaz. Funded by ACTA. Graphic design by Jenette Selin.

Fanfare Zambaleta (roughly meaning crazy street party with brass) is an eight piece Balkan Brass band specializing in spirited music of the Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Greek and especially the Romani people. Featuring special guest Benji Rifati on trumpet, the band is led by Greg Jenkins on saxophone. Combining a love of the classic brass bands of the past with the modern sounds coming out of the Balkans, Fanfare Zambaleta brings an irresistible blend of old and new to get you dancing! They’ve learned from some of the greats including Demiran Ćerimović, Džambo Aguševi Orkestar and Nizo Alimov (of Kočani Orkestar) and are now embarking on a new journey to write original tunes inspired by their deep love of the music.

Stevens Family “Gypsy Boys” is a third generation Kalderash family band composed of George, virtuoso on guitar, and Paul on accordion. They perform throughout California, the Northwest, Nevada, New York and Florida for Romani weddings, baptisms, and calendrical celebrations. The group formed in the 1980’s when grandfather Vine, a renowned mandolinist and leader of the Los Angeles Romani community recruited his grandchildren. Learning in the oral tradition, they blend styles from Manush Jazz to Serbian, Greek, and Russian music. George is also a co-founder, frontman, and songwriter for the Seattle based Rumba Kings.

Songs of Šaban Bajramović features Sani Rifati on vocals performing the repertoire of the legendary Serbian singer who wrote hundreds of songs. He is joined by Banat Romanian/Serbian/American accordion player Peter Stan and Italian violinist Marco Ghezzo (and his group Arcush), who studied for many years with Roma in Csavas, Transylvania. Dusan Ristic on violin hails from a distinguished Serbian Romani family from Valjevo and emigrated to California in 2003. He founded the Amala Romani Music School and is also a visual artist who exhibited at the Venice Bienalle Romani Pavillion.

Sani Rifati, founder and president of Voice of Roma, is a producer, tour manager, dance instructor, and veteran Romani activist. Born in 1962 in Kosovo in a traditional and vibrant Romani neighborhood, he emigrated to the US in 1993 and now lives in Berlin. He has worked to produce VOR’s annual festivals for over 25 years and has tirelessly educated the public about the richness of Romani folk arts. Rifati has also taught numerous Romani dance workshops, given lectures throughout the US and Europe, and organized summer seminars in Romani music and dance.

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 singer, multi-instrumentalist, and director of Balkan Ensemble Merkalii. Raised in the vibrant Turkish/Muslim/Romani neighborhood of Gotse Delchev, Bulgaria, he was immersed in Bulgarian, Macedonian, Greek, Turkish, Serbian, and Romani music, and also served as concertmaster of the Bulgarian folk ensemble Nevrokop. Since emigrating to the US in 2001, he has performed and taught in numerous Bay Area venues as well as international music camps and has received support from ACTA and the Berkeley Civic Arts Commission.

Carol Silverman is award-winning Prof. Emerita of Cultural Anthropology/Folklore at the University of Oregon, VOR Board member, and music co-curator for RomArchive.eu. She has supported Romani culture in the Balkans and the American and West European diasporas for 40 years as a researcher, teacher, activist, and performer. She teaches Balkan singing internationally and toured and recorded extensively with the Yuri Yunakov Ensemble. Her 2012 book, Romani Routes: Cultural Politics and Balkan Music in Diaspora won the Book Prize from the Society for Ethnomusicology.

Voice of Roma is a California based NGO that promotes the rich cultural heritage of Roma dating back a thousand years, through festivals, workshops, performances and educational presentations. VOR works to heighten awareness of human rights issues faced by Roma in today’s world, and to support efforts by Roma to build and maintain their communities, and to improve their lives. In its 27-year history, VOR has supported many educational programs about Roma as well as several national tours of esteemed artists, such as the final American tour of superstar vocalist Esma Redžepova. See voiceofroma.com.