Sarakina (Poland / Bulgaria)

 

Sarakina is the oriental name of a beautiful girl from the Balkans, a village in Greece and the name of a band from Bialystok playing music with Bulgarian roots. (...) They play compositions and arrangements of melodies and musical motifs originating from Bulgaria and Macedonia. (...) Like in a kaleidoscope, pace and mood and even historical periods are mixed up: next to archaic songs there are jazzy, virtuoso played inserts, and the clarinet "talks" with ethnic instruments.

[Monika Żmijewska, "Gazeta Wyborcza"]

 

Sarakina's concert should be listened to by fans of Balkan music as well as those who don't like it. The first will hear their favorite music in sophisticated, subtle arrangements. Others may find that - in contrast to pushy, kitschy television productions - creativity referring to the Balkan roots can be beautiful and intelligent.

[Tomasz Janas, "Czas Kultury"]

 

The Sarakina band performs music that is closest to the term ethno / jazz. The band's compositions and arrangements combine the influences of Balkan, classical, church and contemporary music with the elements of jazz improvisation and ethno stylistics. The ensemble has existed since 1999 and consists of graduates and students of collage music schools. It is the laureate of the "New Tradition" Festival (2001), it also received the title of "Folk Phonogram of the Year" for the album "Sarakina" released by the Polish Radio in 2001.

 

Band members:

Jacek Grekow - accordion, gajda, kaval

Jan Mlejnek - clarinet, tambura

Karol Sypytkowski - double bass

Wojtek Bronakowski - percussion instruments

 

Workshops: July 30, 2004, 5:00 PM, Alchemia

Concert: July 30, 2004, 9:00 PM, Alchemia