Global Consonances I     Saturday Afternoon      
September 16      noon to 6:00 PM      Custom House Plaza
The Balkans, long a crossroad between East and West, has a musical culture enriched by both. Bulgarian music is particularly renowned for its haunting melodies, dense ornamentation, complex rhythms and stunning improvisations. Yuri Yunakov, born of Turkish Rom (Gypsy) ancestry and Bulgaria's most famous saxophone player, is one of the founders and most popular performers of "wedding music."
A contemporary style, "wedding music" is named for its ubiquitous presence at life cycle celebrations, such as weddings and baptisms, where dancing and music is a must. Fast speeds, plummeting key changes, impossible rhythms; village folk tunes melded with jazz, rock, Turkish and Indian music; all combine to create one of the most thrilling musical sounds today. Despite his international musical reputation (and remarkable physical stature - he is an ex-professional boxer), Yuri was repeatedly harrassed, fined, and sent to prison for playing Gypsy and Turkish music, which were once prohibited as "foreign" elements by the former communist government. Come hear a Roma original and dance a Balkan step or two.
Kyuchek Arabesque   (4:28  Lo-Fi mp3 format- 656 kilobytes)

9-8  (4:00  Lo-Fi mp3 format- 590 kilobytes)
A Program of the
Cultural Council for Monterey County
Sunset Center, Room 5, San Carlos at Ninth
Post Office Box 7495, Carmel, CA 93921

Phone (831) 622-9060 - Fax (831) 622-9061
Email: ccmc@culturalmonterey.org
http://www.culturalmonterey.org