International Folk Dance Association   of University City presents . . .
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A Dance Party Featuring
Music by the Bulgarian Band

Kabile

Sunday, September 21, 2008
6:30 to 10:00 p.m.
University United Methodist Church
6901 Washington Ave.
University City (St. Louis), Missouri
    (see Google Map and directions below)
Admission $5 (free if under age 18)

Join us for an exciting dance party featuring live traditional Bulgarian dance music by one of the most respected ensembles of Bulgaria!

Kabile is a top favorite in the south and east Thrace regions of Bulgaria for weddings, baptisms and other cultural celebrations.  Individually, each member of the band has an exceptional history of scholarship and performance.  Collectively they form one of the most respected ensembles in Bulgarian Thrace, playing and singing in the traditional Thracian style. The band members are:

• Dzhenko Andreev (gajda) — a graduate of the Filip Koutev High School of Music, one of the two prestigious music high schools in Bulgaria; has been a member of the Sliven Ensemble for over 20 years and has toured with them internationally.
• Ivan Handzhiev (accordion, voice) — a graduate of the Filip Koutev High School of Music and of the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts in Plovdiv, the country’s most prestigious university-level institution for folk music; also served on the faculty of Filip Koutev High School as a music instructor for more than 25 years.
• Angel Krastev (tapan) — born and raised in Yambol; learned to play tapan from the village masters and as a child participated in many music festivals; in high school formed a popular bitov band that was much in demand for festivals, weddings and other public events; has served as a soloist with the Yambol Ensemble since 1973.
• Nikolay Doktorov (kaval) — a graduate of the Filip Koutev High School of Music and of the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts; currently on the faculty of the High School Anton Strashimirov in Varna, Bulgaria, where he teaches kaval and conducts folk orchestra; also the conductor of several regional ensembles in Varna.
• Nikolay Kolev (gadulka) — graduated from the prestigious Musical Folklore High School in Shiroka Luka; considered one of the world's foremost gadulka players; formed the wedding ensemble Rozova Dolina in 1985 the prize-winning ensemble Balkanski Glasove in 1992; has accompanied many well-known singers including Vulkana Stojanova, Roumen Rodopski and Todor Kozhuharov.
• Donka Koleva (voice) — also graduated from the Musical Folklore High School in Shiroka Luka; performed for three years with the Sliven Ensemble for Folk Songs and Dances; was director of the Folk Song Chorus of Sopot; has been a featured soloist on Bulgarian Radio and Television and featured on numerous recordings; has participated in many singing competitions in Bulgaria and Europe.  In 1997 her recording of Javore was named "Song of the Year" in the Bulgarian national radio competition.
  
  Since emigrating to the United States in 1995, Nikolay Kolev and Donka Koleva have played an active role in fostering Bulgarian music across the country.  Based in New York City, they teach workshops and perform solo, as a duo, and as a family quartet with their daughters Penka and Maria.

We have enjoyed having several of these musicians in St. Louis in the past, providing us with beautiful, traditional Bulgarian dance music, and this event is going to be an exciting one as well.  Don't miss it!

For more information on the band, as well as sound samples from their recently-released CD which will be available at the party, see http://balkandance.net/kabile.  See also http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h60_CAf5vs for a music video of the ensemble (thanks to Walt Mahovlich for posting it).

Location:  The church is on the northwest corner of Washington and Trinity, and can be reached from Delmar by turning south on Trinity next to the Lion Gates.  Parking is available in the church lot, and on Trinity and surrounding streets, but please avoid parking on the residential part of Washington west of Trinity.  Enter the church from Trinity by going up the steps, walking by the playground in front of the church, and going in through the door on your right.  This door will be locked, but there will be a special doorbell button to push in case somebody is not nearby to let you in.  (Note:  Most of the streets in this area other than the main streets are non-through, though the map doesn't indicate this.)