Bulgarika – Bulgarian Folk Dance Party

Join us for BULGARIKA’s first stop in the Bay Area on their national tour! Come dance to the haunting melodies and fiery dance tempos of four master musicians, all steeped in Bulgarian music and rhythms from a young age.

Admission: $15. Students half-price, kids free with adult.

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Bulgarika

Bulgarika presents traditional Bulgarian songs and tunes. The band is led by husband and wife team, Nikolay (gadulka, a fiddle) and Donka Kolev (vocalist), award-winning performers from Folk Music Conservatories in Bulgaria. They are joined by Stoyan Kostov (tambura and vocals) and Michael Ginsburg (tapan).

Nikolay Kolev

Nikolay Kolev (gadulka)

Nikolay Kolev is a native of the Thracian Rose Valley village of Karavelovo, has been playing gadulka since age 10. After graduating from the National School of Folk Arts in Shiroka Luka, Bulgaria, he performed for three years with the Sliven Folk Dance and Music Ensemble. In 1984 he founded the orchestra “Sopot”. In 1985 he formed the wedding-music ensemble “Rozova Dolina” and in 1992 the prize-winning ensemble “Balkanski Glasove”. In 1994 and 1995 the latter group took first prizes at the Varna Festival. Nikolay has accompanied many well-known singers including Vulkana Stojanova, Roumen Rodopski and Todor Kozhuharov. He has also taught many students at a number of Balkan camps in the U.S. In 1999, Nikolay was the first Bulgarian to be recognized by the Slavic Heritage Council of America for his outstanding contributions to music.

Donka Koleva

Donka Koleva (vocals)

Donka Koleva is a native of the village of Tuzha in the Stara Zagora region of Thrace. She graduated from the National School of Folk Arts in Shiroka Luka, Bulgaria, and performed for three years with the Sliven Folk Dance and Music Ensemble. She was director of the Folk Song Chorus of Sopot, has been a featured soloist on Bulgarian Radio-TV, has participated in numerous singing competitions in Bulgaria and Europe and has been featured on numerous recordings. In 1997 her recording of Javore was named “Song of the Year” in the Bulgarian national radio competition. Since immigrating to the U.S. she has taught and performed widely across N. America, both privately and at numerous camps, festivals and other events. In addition to her vocal talents Donka serves as Bulgarika’s manager and has organized 12 national tours for the bands Kabile’, Cherven Traktor, Bulgarika and the Kolev Family Ensemble.

Stoyan Kostov

Stoyan Kostov (vocals, tambura)

Stoyan Kostov has been playing the Bulgarian tambura for over 40 years. He graduated from the National Music School “Filip Koutev” and the Bulgarian National Conservatory. Stoyan performed with Ensemble Trakiya and played tambura with Harmanliska Troika, and guitar with the Ograzhden ensemble in Sandanski, where he also directed the “N. Vaptsarov” Folk Ensemble. Stoyan lives in Pittsburgh PA.
 
 

Michael Ginsburg

Michael Ginsburg (tapan)

Michael Ginsburg began teaching Balkan folk-dance in 1964 in New York City and now teaches a weekly dance class there. He plays tapan with Cherven Traktor, a band that plays Bulgarian folk music on traditional instruments. He also plays trumpet with Kavala Brass Band, a band specializing in the Brass music of Aegean Macedonia. He is a founding member and lead trumpeter of Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band, formed in 1983. In 1987 they were the first foreign band to appear at the world-famous Brass Band festival in Guca, Serbia. Michael additionally serves as the head of the Program Committee of the Golden Festival in Brooklyn, New York, an annual event attracting thousands of participants and featuring dozens of musical groups.