Ederlezi strikes gypsy heart in Strathcona
Tonight, I attended part one of the two-part concert week-end known as Ederlezi - Balkan Brass Festival (6-7 May at the Russian Hall). Billed as a "Roma Spring holiday", it features no fewer than three Balkan-style brass bands: Orkestar Zirkonium from Seattle, Brass Menazeri from San Francisco, and our own Orkestar Slivovica. There were also two lovely belly dance troupes, (and assorted vendors of Balkan eats and drinks), but the stars of the show are the brass bands.
Well, actually the stars might be the fans themselves as this form of music seems to draw folks from all walks of life - young, old, hippy, hipster, anarchist and traditionalist. And, it's the graceful lines of middle aged and older women who take the lead as they deftly make their way around the dance floor to the deceivingly simple steps of the dances. The shapely young women who also abound, seem to have a thing or two to learn by contrast.
The evening began with Orkestar Slivovica, which I thought was playing a little more up tempo than the last time I heard them at the Ukrainian Hall. Perhaps, they were intimidated by the quicker and sharper performances of their American counterparts. Gradually, they eased into their signature pelvic back beat and things began to heat up. That’s the thing about this music: if you’re not willing to let go with the hips, you’re not going to enjoy it. But they let go, and so did we—especially as the Šljivovica (Balkan plum brandy) started flowing.
By contrast, Brass Menazeri was indeed a slicker, sharper band and I immediately heard that these guys benefit from the venerable American tradition of college marching bands (something almost unknown in Canada). They share a similar instrumentation: alto sax and a couple of trumpets to carry the melody while the harmony and bass is supplied by three tenor horns and sousaphone. The stuffy unrelenting woof of the tenor horns is what gives the music its drive, as if to say “life is sad, but we must keep going”. Perhaps not a sentiment to get you out on the dance floor in a hurry, but on this rainy night, it fits the bill just fine.
The third band, Orkestar Zirkonium, was the least Balkan of the lot. With their brighter sound owing to their use of less Balkan sounding instruments, such as trombone (in lieu on tenor horn), quicker tempos, and matching white outfits (is this Croatia and Vegas?), I felt that perhaps they’d strayed from their roots. Still in their own right, they performed two smart sets and have several outstanding players, particularly Kevin Hinshaw on clarinet.
The highlight of each set is in the set change. In order to restage for the next band, the first band moves onto the dance floor giving us all an extraordinary opportunity to really cavort up close with the players. So, if you want a night of great music and great dancing in an atmosphere far from the predictable meat market of the Granville “Entertainment” district, visit the Russian Hall, Saturday night (7 May, 8 PM) for another carefree and exotic evening.