San Francisco Tamburitza Festival February 16, 2013

Feb 16-17, 7pm to 12am on 2/16, and 12pm to 8pm on 2/17

For the past decade the Croatian American Cultural Center has annually showcased the best tamburitza music in California and presented nationally renowned tamburitza orchestras. (Tamburitza are a family of stringed lute-like instruments popular in Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia and Hungary.) On President's Day weekend each February; the San Francisco Bay Area is filled with singing, dancing, and the music of the tamburitza. For two days halls reverberate with a rich tapestry of tambura music both traditional and contemporary. The ensembles perform for listening, play dance tunes, polkas and waltzes and circle dances, and sing Becar tunes until the bar closes late at night.

The Welcome Dance is 7:30PM on Saturday. Food and drink will be available.

The Concert is 1:30PM on Sunday, followed by dancing and singing in two halls. Food will be ready at 12 noon. T-Rroma from Chicago will be headlining. Although Tamburitza Rroma (T-Rroma) is based in Chicago, its repertoire, which includes original as well as folk and modem compositions, is as rich and diverse as the culture of the Romani, from which it takes its name. T-Rroma's members all are seasoned performers who have been honing their musical skills since childhood. Each has performed with first-class musicians and singers in America, Canada and the former Yugoslavia. It is T-Rroma's ability to blend soulful passion with technical expertise its knack for delivering complex instrumental pieces and vocal arrangements with what appears to be effortless precision that has makes them one of the most sought after Tamburitza bands in the country.

Also, performing will be Chubritza, Sidro Tamburitza Orchestra, St Anthony's Tamburica Orchestra, Novi Stari Tamburasi, Slavonian Traveling Band with Lilla Serlegi, Mladost Bosne and the Koraci Croatian Dance Ensemble. John Morovich will teach kolo dancing and klapa singing. A schedule will be posted at www.CroatianAmericanWeb.org

Official Website: http://www.CroatianAmericanWeb.org