Folk Dance Bands and Musicians
The groups listed below are available for hire. Some bands have repertoires limited to specific countries or regions while others play a broad spectrum of dance music. All are based in Northern California.| Name | Type of music | Contact Information |
|---|---|---|
| Agapi Mou | Greek, Albanian, Armenian, Roma, Turkish | Gregory Jenkins (650) 450-0418 Send an Email Website |
| Becari | Kolo/Serbian | Sam Vodis (415) 485-1816 |
| Born to Drone | Balkan and Beyond Singing Group | Jean Benniof Send an Email |
| Brass Menazherie | Balkan Brass band | Peter Jaques (415) 867-9260 Send an Email Website |
| California Kapela | Music for general folk dancing, with an emphasis on Eastern European/Balkan music | Susan Worland Send an Email |
| Chubritza | International dance music | Craig Kurumada (707) 822-8045 Send an Email Website |
| Cope Family Band | Balkan Dance Band | Bill Cope (408) 985-6737 Send an Email |
| Da! Mozhem | Mostly Balkan Dance Band | Ginny Snyder (408) 733-5529 Send an Email |
| Dalmacijo Singers | Croatian Choir (spring 2013 on hiatus pending getting a new director) | Rajna Ledoux (510) 864-9999 Send an Email |
| Disciples of Markos | Greek, mainly Rebetika for listening | Dennis Demakos (415)235-0328 Send an Email |
| Douglas Gallagher | Director of Balkan choir (high school students) | Douglas Gallagher (707) 490-6206 Send an Email |
| Edessa | Balkan Dance Band | George Chittenden (510) 525-4342 Send an Email |
| Erik Hoffman/Ingrid Noyes | Traditional Old-Time American - contras, squares, big-circle dances | Erik Hoffman (510) 444-4397 Send an Email or Ingrid Noyes (415) 663-1342 Send an Email |
| Fanfare Zambaleta | Balkan Brass Band | Gregory Jenkins (650) 450-0418 Send an Email Website |
| Fotia | Greek | Michael Kutulas Send an Email Website |
| Helios | Greek | Lefteri Tsakle (209) 613-8973 Send an Email Website |
| Inspector Gadje | Balkan Brass Band | Sean Tergis (415) 505-6562 Send an Email |
| Janam (formerly Black Olive Babes) | Balkan, Middle Eastern, Appalachian | Juliana Graffagna (510) 435-7844 Send an Email Website |
| The John Brothers Piano Company | Traditional Old-Time American | Mary Goree Send an Email Website |
| Kitka | Eastern European vocal music, women's choir (listening only) | Shira Cion (510) 843-4110 Send an Email Website |
| Leon Bumanglang & friends | Middle Eastern and Old-Time American | Leon Bumanglang (831)458-1340 Send an Email |
| Mid-East Tapestry Quartet | Turkey, Greece, Armenia, Iran, Arabic speaking countries | Vince Delgado Send an Email Website |
| Mosaic | Bulgarian, Serbian, and International | Tony Canavarro (831) 883-2668 Send an Email |
| MWE | Turkish and Balkan Music | Sean Tergis (415) 505-6562 Send an Email Website |
| Mythos | Traditional and Contemporary Greek | Bobby Klaivitis (408) 269-4941 Send an Email Website |
| Nada Lewis | International accordion music | Nada Lewis (510) 243-1122 Send an Email |
| Naomi Zamir | Balkan, Israeli, Klezmer | Naomi Zamir (650) 328-2413 Send an Email |
| Nestinari | Bulgarian | Ivan Kabaivanov (925) 360-6293 |
| Orkestar Sali | Balkan, Rom | Rumen Sali Shopov (510) 847-7918 Send an Email |
| Tim Rued | Square, contras, and Scandinavian music, with emphasis on Swedish | Tim Rued (209) 825-2669 Send an Email Website |
| Slavonian Traveling Band | Croatian and Bosnian | Paul and Mari Litsky (510) 525-8039 Send an Email |
| Stanford Klezmer Band | Klezmer | Isaac Bleaman or David Rosenthal Send an Email Website |
| Staro Vino | Balkan | Mark Jenkins (408) 242-7313 Send an Email |
| Sviraci | Balkan | Melissa Miller (408) 246-7646 Send an Email |
| The Mehanatones | Macedonian | Bill Cope (408) 985-6737 Send an Email |
| Vecernica | International folk dance music | Dave Bogdanoff (650) 604-6138 Send an Email Website |
| Verna Druzhina | Balkan | Mark Jenkins (408) 242-7313 Send an Email |
| VFO Balkan Dance Band | Balkan and International | Lesley Schneider Send an Email Website |
| Zado | Eastern European vocal music, women and men (listening only) | Jan Volkoff, (916) 254-0111 Send an Email Website |
| Zabava | Macedonian | Bill Cope (408) 985-6737 Send an Email |
| Ziyia | Greek | George Chittenden (510) 525-4342 Send an Email Website |
| Zoyres | East European Fusion, mainly Balkan | Michael Perlmutter (774) 279-6416 Send an Email Website |
If you know of group that should be listed, please contact the webmanager
Thanks to Arelene Imagawa, Ginny Snyder and Greg Jenkins and others for helping to keep this page up-to-date.