Balkan Babes - Metchosin Concert

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Sunday, June 1st, 2014
2:30 PM to 4:30 PM

Recently featured in FOCUS Magazine and 2014 winners of the World Music category in the Vancouver Island Music Awards for their recording of �Oine Doine�, Balkan Babes are active members of Vancouver Island�s music, arts and culture communities. The Metchosin Community Association is very pleased to have this renowned a capella group perform at St Mary of the Incarnation Church, 4125 Metchosin Road, on Sunday, June 1 at 2:30pm.

As usual, tickets, $15 for adults, $5 for students and children and free for children under 12 accompanied by an adult, may be purchased at the door or in advance by calling 250 478 5155. Advance purchase is encouraged as it helps us plan the refreshments at intermission.

The Balkan Babes began in Victoria in 1999 as a community of women learning and sharing a capella folk music from various regions of the Balkans. By 2005, the Balkan Babes had evolved from a grassroots choir to a performance-oriented vocal ensemble, remaining dedicated to the challenging and highly rewarding process of being a collective, with no director. The nine current members, coming from Saltspring Island, Cowichan Valley and Victoria, were part of the original group. Over the years, the Balkan Babes have gained local acclaim singing at many festivals, events and concerts throughout Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. In 2008 the Babes stepped onto the national stage, performing in Montreal as first place winners in the Pan Cultural Traditions category of CBC Radio 2�s biennial amateur choral competition, �Choral 2008�.


The nine women that make up the Balkan Babes are drawn to the penetrating harmonies, asymmetric rhythms, unusual ornamentations and powerful emotions that characterize the rich and timeless folk music of Eastern Europe and love to share this with their audiences. With no native speakers of the Balkan languages in the group, the lyrics are learned by memorization and the repertoire obtained from a variety of sources, including workshops from musicians and musicologists from the Balkans and North America, the internet, resource tips from their audiences and just learning by ear from other singers. They find that the music really speaks for itself, and their audiences are able to immerse themselves in the sound though they might not understand the lyrics. An introduction and synopsis of each song is of course always provided. While the Balkan Babes strive for an authentic sound in vocal production and pronunciation, they also open up many songs to their own contemporary interpretations and arrangements.

August 2008 saw the release of the Balkan Babes� first full-length CD, Divna, described as
�an entrancing album of world music from one of the city�s much loved choirs� (John Threlfall, Monday Magazine, Victoria B.C.). In early 2013, the �Babes� released their newest CD Volio, also recorded and engineered by Russell Dawkins, to more warm reviews: �A stunning celebration of the power of the human voice, Volio will bring great pleasure to any fan of the choral traditions� (Dave O Rama, BC Musician Magazine). An album that explores themes of love, longing, and loss, Volio bridges cultures and times, making accessible the diverse musical traditions of the Balkans to music lovers near and far. These CDs will be available for sale at the concert but may also be purchased through their website (www.balkanbabes.ca) and iTunes.