Orkestar Šlivovica

Calendar updated, lots of new gigs!

Oliver — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:36:08 +0000

We are pretty much booked solid now until October, with a 6-week hiatus from mid-June to end of July while we scatter across the planet to places like California, France, Greece, the UK, and of course Serbia to hang out with Demiran in Vranje! When we get back in August it’s all touring and weddings, so there are only a few public shows left before September!

Here’s our next show, hope this weather holds!

Ederlezi a HUGE success! Thank you all so much!

Oliver — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:01:28 +0000

This was without doubt our most successful event ever! Thanks to the nearly 100 performers, hard working volunteers and crew, and AMAZING audience for making it so memorable!

Demiran is back in Serbia, full of fond memories, and there have been many discussions about “next time”… yes, there will most definitely be a “next time”! We all enjoyed working with each other, and there is talk of Demiran coming on a Temporary Work Permit next time so he can teach, play in bars and restaurants, and be here for a lot longer! Start planning your party or wedding or big event now for April 2013!

So should we change anything next year? Same hall? (we had to turn a lot of people away, but the larger halls have much less ambiance). Any changes you can suggest? We’re having a de-brief meeting soon, so any suggestions are welcome! Send comments to orkestars at gmail dot com!

Ederlezi Balkan Brass Festival May 4 – 5!

Oliver — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 03:42:57 +0000

Ederlezi 2012 will feature, all the way from Vranje, Serbia, trumpet master and multiple winner of Guca Trumpet Festival Demiran Ćerimović!

Demiran will be performing with Orkestar Slivovica as our guest star!

And, we are bringing Orkestar Zirkonium from Seattle once again, Bucan Bucan from Victoria, and Bolting Brassicas from Lasqueti Island! And on the visual side, we will have the Luciterra Tribal Bellydance troupe, and TWO Serbian folk dance troupes, Vuk Karadzic and Gradina!

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/239636, in person at Highlife Records (1317 Commercial Drive) and Boemma Deli (125-5172 Kingsway, Bby), and by telephone at 1-800-838-3006.

Only $20 advance and $25 at the door! Different shows each night, so we are offering a 2-day ticket for $36.00 advance as well.

We will once again have a limited number of tables for large parties (10-12). There is no cost to book a table, but everyone needs to have advance tickets and at least most people from the group need to be there by 8 pm to claim the table! Contact us to book: orkestars (at ) gmail (dot ) com, or telephone 604-612-1050.

UPDATE: IMPORTANT NEWS FLASH!

*** 2-day tickets are sold out (limited number were offered)

*** Both nights will sell out, possibly before doors open, advance tickets highly recommended!

*** There is one table reservation open for Friday only!

*** see below for workshop details!

SCHEDULE (approximate!)

7:00 Doors open, dance workshop (no extra charge!)
7:40 Ben Meti welcomes you with his accordion!

8:10 Welcoming announcements

Order of performances: FRIDAY

8:15 Concert begins.
Bolting Brassicas (Lasqueti Island)
Vuk Karadzic Serbian Dancers
Orkestar Slivovica featuring Demiran Cerimovic
Bolting Brassicas (Lasqueti Island)
Luciterra Tribal Bellydance
Orkestar Slivovica featuring Demiran Cerimovic
All bands on stage together (approx 11:45 pm)

Order of performances: SATURDAY

8:15 Concert begins.
Bucan Bucan (Victoria)
Gradina Serbian Dancers
Orkestar Slivovica featuring Demiran Cerimovic
Orkestar Zirkonium (Seattle)
Bucan Bucan (Victoria)
Orkestar Slivovica featuring Demiran Cerimovic
Orkestar Zirkonium (Seattle)
All bands on stage together (approx midnight)

DAYTIME SCHEDULE for Group Workshops during Festival: 75-90 minute sessions during the Day Sat-Sun May 5-6, in the basement of the Russian Hall (600 Campbell, East Van). Interpreter included. Loaner instruments $5 each (paid to owners).
Sat May 5, 12 – 1:15: Beginner Tapan/Goc – max 10 people: $20 – *** FULL
Sat May 5, 1:30 – 2:45: Intermediate-Advanced Tapan/Goc – max 8 people: $25
Sat May 5, 3:00 – 5:00: Band arrangements (learn + arrange 1-3 tunes, all inst’s) – max 30: $15 *** CANCELLED (not enough registrants!)

Sat May 5, 3:00 – 4:15 – **NEW** another Beginner Tapan class Sun May 6, 12 – 1:30: Intermediate/Advanced Baritone/Euphonium – max 10 people: $20
Sun May 6, 2 – 3:30: Intermediate trumpet (flugelhorn) – max 8: $25
Sun May 6, 4 – 5:30: Advanced trumpet (flugelhorn) – max 6: $30

Email orkestars (at) gmail (dot) com to register and receive confirmation updates in case of changes

Demiran Cerimovic song “Dejan’s Cocek”

Kris — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 02:01:53 +0000

Demiran ÄerimoviÄ – Dejan’s chochek.mp3

And here’s a video of his winning performance at Guca 2007:

CD Release Party Friday April 6!

Oliver — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:54:29 +0000

After more than a year, our first CD is finally done!

And you are invited to our special CD release party at Raw Canvas!

Join us at our regular monthly hangout for a special party where we invite our many collaborators and past band members to join us on stage!

We will start earlier than usual, around 8:00. Since there is no table reservation, get there super early if you want a seat! Why not have dinner there? And hold some extra seats for other fans!

Friday April 6 at 8:00 PM

Raw Canvas cafe, 1046 Hamilton St
Vancouver (Yaletown), BC . CANADA

By donation, or just buy some CDs!

Our last Raw Canvas night before the summer break!

http://www.raw-canvas.com/

Mariachi Trubachi a huge success!

Oliver — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:08:13 +0000

Thank you to all the people who came out and supported our multicultural experiment with such enthusiasm! And apologies to the many who didn’t get in. Advance tickets next time? It’s the best way!

We’ll post photos soon, there should be some good ones as we hired a photographer to document the occasion.

Big thanks to the crew and volunteers who did a fantastic job. Shows like this are a lot of work! But we’ll keep doing them… actually, we’ve just announced the next one!

Check out Mariachi Los Dorados at http://www.losdorados.ca/.

Parno Drom at the Sljivovica Social Club this Friday!

Oliver — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 07:24:12 +0000

Our guest band will be Parno Drom, East European Roma style music featuring accordion, violin, guitar, and vocals! (www.ParnoDrom.com).

See the event listing for details.

News Flash: Mariachi Trubachi tickets will be on sale! Bring $$! This one is sure to sell out!

West Is East Festival a big success!

Oliver — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:18:22 +0000

Many thanks to everyone who came out on Friday and Saturday for our self-produced West is East Festival! We will do it again sometime, no?

Here’s an article and photos: http://digitaljournal.com/article/315554
********************************

We have two more shows this year, Friday December 16 at Cafe Deux Soleil, and Solstice at Britannia Community Centre on Wednesday the 21st!

http://secretlantern.org/index.html, http://www.facebook.com/events/276925095691657/

Stay tuned for our CD release party early in the new year!

West is East tickets on sale now!

Oliver — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:49:34 +0000

It’s shaping up to be a great show! We’ll have chai tea, turkish coffee, sausages from JNZ deli, baklava and other ethnic food, several choices of beer and wine, Sljivovica (the good stuff from Serbia!), and oh yes, a little bit of music too!

Tickets on sale at Highlife records, 1317 Commercial, and online here: caravanbc.com. Note the 2-day special advance rate of $26 (value of $35 if you buy tickets separately at the door).

We’ve just added the option to reserve a table for 10 people. Contact us directly to arrange this. You need to buy advance tickets for 10 or more people and arrive by 8 pm, but you get $1 off the advance ticket price and no service charges! email us: orkestars (at) gmail (dot) com.

Where else can you hear non-stop 100% live music from 7:30 until 1 am in a “village hall” atmosphere? Nowhere else in this town!

Back with a Bang!

Oliver — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 21:04:55 +0000

August is already a warm memory, as band members scattered to the wind, some laying at beaches, some making a killing with commercial fishing, some visiting family back east, and a few lucky ones travelling to France, Macedonia, and Serbia, including Guca! Yes, some of us watched the finals, shook hands with Boban Markovic, and marveled at perhaps the best trumpet solo of all time, by Sinisa Stankovic (who inexplicably did NOT win!). Some lessons and research in Vranje and Skopje left two of us just a little more versed in the magic of Balkan Brass music. Come to our next show and see if you can hear a difference!

Also, just as the final concert was being held at Guca, our beloved accordion player Alyssa welcomed a lovely screaming little mini-person into the world!

So now we begin a very busy fall season, with two tours to the Island and several local gigs already behind us. Tonight we play at the recently renovated Waldorf for the Accordion Noir festival, and October 7 we begin our fall season of monthly Sljivovica Social Club nights at Raw Canvas, the closest thing you will find here to a Belgrade barge club or Kafana!

In December we will be hosting a new signature event in collaboration with Caravan World Rhythms, called “West is East”. Confirmed acts are Tambura Rasa, Haram, Zeellia, Raha Ensemble, and several more in the works!

Check the calendar as new shows are being booked weekly. See you soon!

Orkestar Slivovica

2011 Guca trumpet festival, Serbia:

Roma Wedding in Vranje, Serbia (Statue of Bakija Bakic in background, trubaci star Nenad Mladenovic in foreground)