Yuri Yunakov Ensemble

about

The Yuri Yunakov Ensemble performs Bulgarian and Romani (Gypsy) music from the Balkan countries. This music is renowned for its haunting melodies, dense ornamentation, complex rhythms, and stunning improvisations. The geographical position of the Balkans in southeastern Europe and hundreds of years of Ottoman Turkish rule have created a wealth of influences from both East and West. The ensemble plays in a contemporary styled called “wedding music,” so named for its ubiquitous presence at life cycle celebrations such as weddings and baptisms where dancing and music are a requirement. This style, which gained popularity in the 1970’s, emphasizes virtuosic technique, improvisation, rapid tempos, daring key changes, and eclectic musical literacy. A multiplicity of styles, such as jazz and rock, and a multiplicity of sources, such as Turkish and Indian musics, are combined with Balkan rural and urban folk musics. In Bulgaria, “wedding music, ” while officially suppressed by the socialist government, thrived in private settings as a means of countercultural expression. The Ensemble’s program weaves a texture of both instrumental and vocal music from contrasting regions of the Balkans performed in the Bulgarian, Slavomacedonian, Serbian, and Romani (Gypsy) languages. Texts express the experiences of village and urban living and the joys and sorrows of life among Roma. The Rom (Gypsy) repertoire highlights the popular dance form “chochek” and songs reflecting the marginalization o

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top songs

albums

New Colors In Bulgarian Wedding Music

Roma Variations

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The Rough Guide To The Music Of The Balkans

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Balada - Bulgarian Wedding Music

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Mehanata: New York Gypsy Mania

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Gypsy Garden CD 2: Funky Rromani

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New York City: Global Beat Of The Boroughs

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Mehanata (Disc 2)

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Gypsy Garden

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The Gypsy Road

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Unblocked - Music of Eastern Europe (Disc 3)

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Unblocked - Music Of Eastern Europe [Disc 3]

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