March's edition of the Berkeley Balkan Bacchanal presents a three-part concert featuring the rare worldly talent of local Bay Area musicians. The Berkeley Balkan Bacchanal is a notoriously raucous marathon of music and dance at the Starry Plough on the second Friday of every month.
Performing at 11:00pm: Radio Istanbul combines a traditional Istanbul sound with modern sensibilities. Inspired by the diverse music heard in the streets, bars and nightclubs of Turkey, Radio Istanbul's hypnotic melodies and driving rhythms draw on Turkish, Rom (Gypsy), Balkan, and Arabic grooves. Radio Istanbul is led by the Turkish-American, SF resident Haluk Kecelioglu on oud and vocals and features some of most exciting local musicians including Gregory Masaki Jenkins, Sean Tergis, Schuyler Karr, and Faisal Zedan and will be featuring a special guest vocalist from NYC, Jenny Luna of Dolunay.
https://www.facebook.com/Radio-Istanbul-513730842106218/
Performing at 10:00pm: Bay Area-based Balkan Ensemble Merkalii & Rumen Sali Shopov pick you up and spin you around with their energetic Balkan and Romani dance tunes!
Rumen Sali Shopov is an internationally acclaimed musician, arranger and band leader who has inspired many local musicians and groups. Ensemble Meraklii grew out of his Balkan and Romani Ensemble music/singing workshop at the Berkeley Jazz School.
https://www.facebook.com/BalkanEnsembleMeraklii/
Performing at 9:00pm: Hadi Dede (Come on, Grandpa!) is a four-piece band revitalizing eclectic repertoire from the Balkans and the Middle East, centered in Turkey. Watch out if they try to be too splendid on stage, and warn them gently if they lose touch. Join us for an entrancing musical expedition from Azerbaijan through Turkey to Macedonia. At times, they will sound like the Ottoman Navy Band, at times like a jam band, and at times like a Bulgarian wedding band. Had Dede are Jarolim 'Yaz' from Istanbul, on guitar, bouzouki, and vocals, Joey Friedman from Albuquerque on sax, Faisal Zedan, from Syria, Derbakki, Riqq, frame drums, and Calvin Lai, from Glendale, CA on clarinet. Hadi!