https://www.facebook.com/yeahbutbalkan
“Yeah! But Balkan” is a band that formed, almost by accident, during Kavč Festival (Slovenia) in February 2020. The four musicians, old friends so to say, discovered that they really like what they’re doing together and only a month later they found themselves in a recording studio in Istanbul. The result is a tight, fun, joyous and virtuosic showcase of Balkan (and Romanian) traditions, reimagined for two violins, a tambura and a cello.
THE BAND
TOBY KUHN
“Spawned in Classical music and left to dry on the streets of Europe, seasoned with the spice of Jazz, Folk and Funk, Toby decants an exploration of his instrument through wide-ranging improvisation, bringing his musical musings to the stage in an effort to intoxicate his audience with the soft beauty of the cello and his love of the ephemeral. His projects fling him far and wide, from Balkan tunes to English songs, from Old-Timey Americana to intensly arranged originals on an ongoing discovery of a multi-faceted craft. Based in France and Slovenia, he regularly tours Europe and the world, always bringing plenty of enthusiasm along for the ride.”
JONAS POUR MOZAFFAR
Jonas is a tambura and mandolin player from Stockholm, Sweden, but he will probably play almost any instrument you put into his hands. He has a wide knowledge of different styles, from punk to swedish folk, but a big part of his heart lies in (middle) eastern music (Greece, Turkey, Iran, Armenia,…). He is living proof that being an autodidact doesn’t mean being an amateur. From September 2020 Jonas will be studying in the world music program of the University of Göteborg, Sweden.
PETRA ONDERUF
“Petra Onderuf took up the violin in her childhood in Slovakia, and after a short flirt with playing the cello, she turned away from classical music to embrace Ethno and traditional styles, in her travels around Europe and through encounters along the way. Through a rigorous jazz education, she was brought into her own as a cross-style performer, happily playing bebop in a Jazz club one night, Bulgarian tunes on a Folk festival stage the next. After finishing her studies, she branched out into jazz composition and arrangement, which has brought a new dimension to what remains her gift as a performer: that of sharing her limitless energy, virtuosity and inventiveness with her audience.”
Angelika Hudler
Playing with “Yeah!… But Balkan” is a great pleasure for Angelika, since her heart was lost somewhere in the Balkans (and Romania) some while ago. She has brought pieces from Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria to the band and is eager to expand the repertoire even further.
Angelika Hudler 