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.| Agapi Mou | Greek, Albanian, Armenian, Roma, Turkish | Gregory Jenkins (650) 450-0418 Email Website |
|---|---|---|
| Balkanton 340 | Bulgarian | Dena Bjornlie |
| California Kapela | Music for general folk dancing, with an emphasis on Eastern European/Balkan music | Susan Worland |
| Chubritza | International dance music | Linnea Mandell (707) 496-6784 Email Website |
| Da! Mozhem | Mostly Balkan Dance Band | Ginny Snyder (408) 733-5529 |
| Danubius | Hungarian--Traditional and Roma | Barbara Deutsch (510) 964-7798 Email Website |
| Disciples of Markos | Greek, mainly Rebetika for listening | Greg Jenkins |
| Edessa | Balkan Dance Band | George Chittenden (510) 525-4342 |
| Ensemble Meraklii | Balkan, Rom | Rumen Sali Shopov (510) 847-7918 |
| Erik Hoffman/Ingrid Noyes | Traditional Old-Time American - contras, squares, big-circle dances | Erik Hoffman (510) 444-4397 Email Ingrid Noyes (415) 663-1342 Email |
| Fanfare Zambaleta | Balkan Brass Band | Gregory Jenkins (650) 450-0418 |
| Fészer | Hungarian folk music, Romanian and Gypsy music from Transylvania. Works closely with Csurdongolo Folk Dance Ensemble of New Jersey | website |
| Fotia | Greek | Michael Kutulas Email Website |
| Gradina | Balkan Band and Chorus | Email Website |
| Helios | Greek | Lefteri Tsakle (209) 613-8973 Email Website |
| Inspector Gadje | Balkan Brass Band | Sean Tergis (415) 505-6562 |
| Janam (formerly Black Olive Babes) | Balkan, Middle Eastern, Appalachian | Juliana Graffagna (510) 435-7844 Email Website |
| Kitka | Eastern European vocal music, women's choir (listening only) | Email Website |
| Mid-East Tapestry Quartet | Turkey, Greece, Armenia, Iran, Arabic speaking countries | Vince Delgado Email Website |
| Mosaic | Bulgarian, Serbian, and International | Tony Canavarro (831) 883-2668 |
| MWE | Turkish and Balkan Music | Sean Tergis (415) 505-6562 Email Website |
| Nada Lewis | International accordion music | Nada Lewis (510) 243-1122 |
| Naomi Zamir | Balkan, Israeli, Klezmer | Naomi Zamir (650) 328-2413 |
| Nestinari | Bulgarian | Ivan Kabaivanov (925) 360-6293 |
| Orchestra Euphonos | Romanian, Moldovan | Peter Bonos |
| Ouzo 18 | Greek Rembetika, Smyrnaika, Dimiotika and Nisiotika | Clark Welsh (415) 377-1806 |
| Saul Goodman's Klezmer Band | Klezmer music for weddings, bar and bat mitzvah parties, and all manner of celebrations | Mike Perlmutter (415) 294-1693 Email Website |
| Staro Vino | Balkan | Mark Jenkins (408) 242-7313 |
| Sviraci | Balkan | Melissa Miller (408) 246-7646 |
| Taraf de Bernal | Românian, Hungarian, Balkan | Clark Welsh (415) 377-1806 |
| The John Brothers Piano Company | Traditional Old-Time American | Mary Goree Email Website |
| The Mehanatones | Macedonian | Bill Cope (408) 985-6737 |
| Tim Rued | Square, contras, and Scandinavian music, with emphasis on Swedish | Tim Rued (209) 825-2669 Email Website |
| VFO Balkan Dance Band (Village Folk Orchestra) | Balkan and International | Lonna Whipple Email Website |
| Zabava International | Macedonian | Bill Cope (408) 985-6737 |
| Zado | Eastern European/Slavic women's choir, plus accordion (listening only) | Jan Volkoff, (916) 995-9948 Email Website |
If you know of group that should be listed, please contact the webmanager
Thanks to Arelene Imagawa, Ginny Snyder, Greg Jenkins and others for helping to keep this page up-to-date.