Beyond the Pale is one of Canada's most innovative and exciting acoustic roots ensembles. Klezmer and Balkan styles serve as the point of departure for their sound, which is shaped by everything from jazz and classical music to bluegrass and reggae.
FEATURING:
Dejan Badnjar - accordion
Aleksandar Gajic - violin
Bret Higgins - bass
Eric Stein - mandolin
Martin van de Ven - clarinet
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
With stellar musicianship, distinctive songcraft, and exuberant energy, Be...
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Due to unforeseen circumstances, this event has been cancelled. If you have already purchased tickets for this event, please note a refund will be issued as soon as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.
Chimera—a mythical being composed of parts from many different animals, often wildly imaginative or dazzling; also a quartet of composers who blend their voices to create emotional and compelling music drawing from Western Classical, Indian, Balkan...
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Janam presents an eclectic mix of driving, odd-metered Balkan tunes, edgy Appalachian ballads, sultry modal songs from Asia Minor, and original compositions inspired by these traditional forms. In honor of the new year, the performance will feature contemplative and celebratory songs of renewal, revelry, and inclement weather.
FEATURING:
Dan Auvil - percussion, vocals
Tom Farris - laouto, guitar
Juliana Graffagna - vocals, accordion
Gari Hegedus - oud, saz, mandocello, mandolin
Shi...
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Karavan Sarai is a modern-ancient bridge joining global melodies from the Silk Road with its own distinct compositions. Its soundscapes travel from Arabia to India and the Balkans to Persia, rendering the electronics of now with ancient artistry. Listen and you’ll hear the echoes of old world footsteps in the music and behold them in the dancing. Karavan Sarai forges ahead where tracks end.
FEATURING:
Narayan Sijan - oud, saz, vocals, electronics
Nathalie Tedrick - dance
Schirin Cham...
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High-energy fiddle tunes from Turkey, Greece and beyond, Lars Tergis leads the charge on violin with driving, gritty interpretations of traditional party tunes and his own original compositions. Chris Reid adds a touch of ‘West’ with percussive chordal accompaniment on steel-string guitar. Gopal Slavonic brings his flamenco guitar chops to bear, while Faisal Zedan keeps the beat popping on derbekki, riqq, and davul. Joined on stage by some of the Bay Area’s top dancers, Lars and in Charge delive...
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Istanbul Connection returns to the Red Poppy as a nine-piece band for a live, intimate performance of Balkan, Turkish, North African, and flamenco music. Come prepared to dance!
FEATURING:
Kata Miletich - vocals
Haluk Kecelioglu - vocals, oud, violin
Raúl Vargas - vocals, cajón, percussion
Melissa Cruz - percussion, dance
Sean Terguis - darbuka, tupan
Isaac Weiser - bass
Javier Jimenez - guitar
Danny Cao - trumpet
Joey Friedman - saxophone
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Istanbul C...
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This year, the Hét Hat Club will be collaborating with Kjartan Code from the Szkojani Charlatans, focusing their repertoire on traditional and traditionally inspired original vocal and instrumental folk music from Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Turkey, as well as highly energetic jazz manouche in the classic style of Django Reinhardt.
FEATURING:
Kjartan Code - vocals, bass, violin
Valentin Desmarais - saxophone
Bitó János - accordion
Isaac Misri - guitar, tambura
A...
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Janam ("My Soul") presents dark love songs from Bulgaria, Greece, West Virginia, and beyond for a different spin post-Valentine's Day.
FEATURING:
Dan Auvil - percussion, vocals
Tom Farris - laouto, guitar, percussion
Juliana Graffagna - vocals, accordion
Gari Hegedus - oud, saz, mandocello, mandolin
Shira Kammen - violin, harp, vocals
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Combining funky Balkan rhythms, gritty Appalachian ballads, arresting vocal harmonies, and enchanting acoustic textures, ...
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SECOND SHOW ADDED! Advance tickets are now available online for the 8:45pm show. Additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door for both the 7:00pm (6:30pm doors) and 8:45pm (8:30pm doors) shows. Please arrive when doors open the day of the event.
Internationally acclaimed cellist, composer, and multilingual vocalist Ian Maksin is back in Bay Area with his freshest original compositions and latest acquisitions from his world travels—from the Balkans to Lake Baikal and from th...
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San Francisco-bred Taraf de Locos reunites for a special birthday celebration! The band performs music from the Balkans to Latin America, as well as original compositions inspired by those styles. Tastefully combining the elements of innovation and authentic tradition, Taraf de Locos produces groove-based music that will make you dance, and moments of mellow, soaring harmonies that will leave you in awe.
FEATURING:
Aya Safiya - vocals, violin, timple
Cecilia Cassandra Peña-Govea - voc...
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Dive into the rich folk traditions of Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Mongolia, and Americana through songs and folk tales with Mozaik and storyteller Dana Sherry. Harmonies are woven together with legends and tales to create a colorful tapestry of the distinct sounds and images from cultures around the world.
FEATURING:
Mozaik
Sandy Hollister - vocals, percussion
Adina Sara - vocals
Hilary Seamans - vocals
Liz Stuart - vocals, accordion, percussion
Natalia Ukrainska - vocals
...
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Daniel Fabricant Trio joins forces with StringQuake for an evening of melodic French jazz, electrifying improvisations, and unusual meters.
FEATURING:
Daniel Fabricant Trio
Daniel Fabricant - bass
Aaron Kierbel - drums
TBD - piano
StringQuake
Amelia Romano - electric harp
Misha Khalikulov - cello
Josh Mellinger - cajón, tabla, frame drum
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Daniel Fabricant is a versatile bassist, playing both upright and electric, that can adapt to a wide range of mu...
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Triism is a jazz trio from Northern California that plays creative arrangements of original compositions, Balkan folk music, pop songs, and jazz standards. Featuring saxophonist Levi Saelua, bassist Alex Reiff, and drummer Jim Frink, their collaborative arrangements often develop from conversations about politics, pop culture, science, and comedy.
Chord Four, a chord-less Los Angeles-based ensemble, then takes the stage to perform a wide repertoire heavily influenced by jazz, as well as the t...
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The Alex Hand Band is riding the wave of its first full-length album, 2018's Traders of the Lost Arts, with performances featuring songs from this record as well as an upcoming one. The music is a mix of Romanian, Bulgarian, and Macedonian traditional folk dance tunes with original compositions inspired by years of playing these styles and studying music in Eastern Europe.
FEATURING:
Alex Hand - guitar
Gabe Case - bass
Kevin Gerzevitz - accordion, keys
Isaac Schwartz - drums
...
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Acclaimed violinist Evan Price (Turtle Island Quartet, Hot Club of San Francisco) joins dynamic Baltimore-based acoustic trio Ultrafaux for a lively night of original music inspired by Balkan folk, bebop, swing, French musette, and Brazilian choro. The show also includes special arrangements of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli tunes, as well as improvisations based on spontaneous suggestions from the audience.
FEATURING:
Michael Joseph Harris - guitar
Evan Price - violin
Sami ...
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Dromeno is a traditional ensemble presenting authentic regional music from the Greek mainland and beyond, overlapping into the surrounding regions and finding the musical legacy that connects the traditions of the Balkans. Featuring wide-ranging instrumentation, the group is able to span the sounds of Greece, from Western Macedonia and Ipiros, through Thessaly and Thrace.
FEATURING:
Christos Govetas - clarinet, bouzouki, vocals
Ruth Hunter - accordion, vocals
Eleni Govetas - double b...
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The Mulberry Project’s Summer 2018 concerts feature international musicians who specialize in the revival of rare Ottoman-Turkish and Balkan music. Inspired by the lively performance aesthetic documented on thousands of 78 RPM records from the region, the members of the Mulberry Project present new compositions in addition to the core repertoire of folk and urban art music from Istanbul and beyond. These concerts are dedicated to the memory of oud master Haig Manoukian.
FEATURING:
Bren...
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Moldavian and Romanian traditional music is known for swift, complex rhythms, musical improvisation, and rich melodic ornamentation. Traditionally performed by Romani musicians, the Lautari musical style encompasses soul-wrenching ballads, high-energy wedding dances, and village-style tunes. Hailing straight from the source and having been steeped in this tradition from birth, Duo Moldova passionately embodies these traditions, transporting the audience back to the weddings and the summer nights...
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A rare night of music presented by Édessa, the Balkan dance band explores a different repertoire from the Balkans, Turkey, and Armenia.
FEATURING:
George Chittenden - clarinet, guitar
Ari Langer - violin
Lise Liepman - santouri, accordion
Sean Tergis - darabuka, defi, tupan
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Édessa captures the passion and vitality that is at the heart of Balkan music, playing the intricate time signatures and highly ornamented modal music that is characteristic of the Bal...
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Het Hat Club returns to the Red Poppy to perform their own interpretations of jazz manouche classics, combining it with their international roots of Eastern European and Balkan music.
FEATURING:
Valentin Desmarais - saxophone
Antonio D Erchie Jr - guitar
Isaac Misri - guitar
Bito Janos - accordion
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Het Hat Club consists of four street musicians who put their own spin on classic Django-style jazz standards and Balkan folk melodies. Formed nearly two years...
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Dancer Bianca Rodriguez collaborates with NYC-based singer Jenny Luna and Bay Area musicians Joey Friedman and Gopal Slavonic to bring you fresh interpretations on music from Turkey, Spain, and the Balkans.
FEATURING:
Jenny Luna - vocals, cajon
Gopal Slavonic - guitar
Bianca Rodriguez - flamenco dance
Joey Friedman - saxophone
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Ole, Opa! was formed in 2016 by dancer Bianca Rodriguez and singer Jenny Luna. The group draws from Luna’s background in Balkan a...
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A staple in the Bay Area Balkan and gypsy swing scenes in recent years, Alex Hand’s current project explores the common ground of influence between western art music and jazz with folk music of Eastern Europe. The repertoire features uptempo and high-energy dance tunes from Bulgaria and Romania with a progressive edge.
Sharing the night is post-folk/rock band Three For Silver, who is currently on tour supporting the newest album, The Way We Burn, released September 2017 on Foggy Night Records...
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Drawing from many Eastern European musical traditions, Taraf de Akácfa performs a broad set of music ranging from danceable Macedonian coceks and complex odd time Bulgarian melodies, to Romanian horas and heart-wrenching Transylvanian songs.
FEATURING:
Lulu de la Rue (USA/ France) - violin
Johannes Olsson (Sweden) - accordion
Isaac Misri (USA) - guitar
Ábel Dénes (Hungary) - double bass
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Taraf de Akácfa is an international six-piece ensemble based out of B...
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Michelle Alany & The Mystics brings fresh interpretations of ancient melodies, hypnotic strings, and wild improvisation with their energizing soulful music. The band consists of seasoned jazz, classical, and globally folk-minded musicians with diverse musical backgrounds in Middle Eastern, Balkan, and Klezmer music.
FEATURING:
Michelle Alany - violin, vocals
Gregory Masaki Jenkins - clarinet
Misha Khalikulov - cello
Travis Hendrix - upright bass
Faisal Zedan - percussion
Andrew Co...
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Flamenco dancer Bianca Rodriguez and New York-based Balkan/Turkish singer Jenny Luna team up with clarinetist Calvin Lai and guitarist Gopal Slavonic for a night of music from Turkey, Spain, and the Balkans.
FEATURING:
Jenny Luna - vocals, cajon
Gopal Slavonic - guitar
Calvin Lai - clarinet
Bianca Rodriguez - flamenco dance
Learn more: Jenny Luna
EVENT DETAILS
Time: Doors 7:00PM / Show 7:30PM
Admission: $15-20 sliding scale
Tickets will not be sold i...
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"Taraf" means "band" in Romanian, "Locos" means "crazies" in Spanish, and "de" means "of" in both languages–the perfect name for a group who lives at the intersection of Greek, Albanian, Turkish, New Orleans, Mexican, and Cuban music. If their previous Red Poppy shows are any indication, this quintet’s rare break from a self-imposed hiatus promises to be a very special performance.
Featuring:
Tano Brock - alto sax, clarinet, guitar, vocals
Aya Safiya - violin, vocals
Cecilia-Cassandra Peñ...
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Often-rambunctious Balkan quartet Édessa, known for playing intricate time signatures and highly ornamented modal music with authority and joy, brings to the Poppy a night of wide-ranging, non-dance repertoire and new material.
Featuring:
George Chittenden – clarinet, gaida, zurna, guitar
Ari Langer – violin
Lise Liepman – santouri, accordion
Sean Tergis – davul, darabuka, defi
Using both traditional and modern instruments, Édessa plays a variety of styles that interweave melodies and ...
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Combining funky Balkan rhythms, gritty Appalachian ballads, arresting vocal harmonies, and enchanting acoustic textures, Janam unites some of the Bay Area's most playful and imaginative devotees of southern Balkan and American roots music to weave together folk tunes and their own colorful compositions, taking their audiences on a labyrinthine musical ride.
Featuring:
Dan Auvil - percussion, vocals
Tom Farris - laouto, guitar
Juliana Graffagna - vocals, accordion
Gari Hegedus - oud, saz, ...
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Straight from Budapest to the Red Poppy comes Hét Hat Club, four street musicians who put their own spin on classic Django-style jazz standards and Balkan folk melodies. On their first American tour, they’ll be playing songs from their just-released debut, Pompe It, and entertaining audiences with fresh arrangements that reflect their international roots.
Featuring:
Isaac Misri - guitar
Antonio d'Erchie Jr. - guitar
Valentin Desmarais - saxophone
Fischer Balázs - double bass
American ...
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This bicoastal quartet–comprised of New York-based singer Jenny Luna and Bay Area residents Bianca Rodriguez (flamenco dance), Morgan Nilsen (clarinet), and Chris Reid (guitar)–promises to bring you a fresh take on music from Turkey, Spain, and the Balkans.
Ole! Opa!, formed by Bianca Rodriguez and Jenny Luna, draws from Jenny’s background in Balkan and Turkish singing and Bianca's background in flamenco dance. The group performs songs from several countries, including Turkey, Spain, Romania,...
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