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Join us for the 25th Herdeljezi Romani Festival, May 2, 2026, Voice of Roma’s annual springtime celebration of Balkan Romani music, dance and culture. The 2026 Herdeljezi Festival Band highlights the traditional music of Balkan Roma as well as contemporary innovations featuring clarinetist Ismail Lumanovski with accordionist-vocalist Chris Bajmakovic, vocalist Hristina Ilioska, trumpeter Benji Rifati, drummer Rumen Sali Shopov and bassist Janie Cowan. The opening evening set features local favorites Balkan Ensemble Meraklii with Rumen Sali Shopov.
Concert and dance party at 8 pm til midnight.
Pre-show events (5:30 - 8 pm) are free and open to all ticket holders and guests. Includes a 5:30 pm panel discussion and a 7 pm dance workshop taught by Jessaiah Zuré.
As part of its annual spring Herdeljezi Festival, Voice of Roma presents a series of participatory workshops to learn Romani music with celebrated musicians from Balkan communities, 1 - 5:15 pm, also at Ashkenaz.
See below for more info.
Ashkenaz Music and Dance Community Center
1317 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA
Tickets now on sale at ashkenaz.com
Visit voiceofroma.com more information
Join Facebook event
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Herdeljezi Balkan Romani Instrumental, Singing and Drumming Workshops
1 - 2:15 pm: Drumming Workshop with Rumen Sali Shopov
1 - 2:15 pm: Accordion/Harmony Workshop with Chris Bajmakovic
2:30 - 3:45 pm: Balkan Singing Workshop with Hristina Ilioska
4 - 5:15 pm: Balkan Romani Melody workshop with Ismail Lumanovski
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Tickets: Each session $25 at the door or $20 online advanced. All workshop pass $60. Student discounts available at the door w/ valid ID.
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Drumming Workshop with Rumen Sali Shopov
1 - 2:15 pm in Ashkenaz's Main Hall
This Balkan rhythm workshop will be taught by our resident master percussionist on tapan and darbuka. All percussion welcome. Balkan/Middle-eastern percussion and drum sets encouraged.
 Rumen “Sali” Shopov (drums, tambura, vocals), director of the Berkeley based Balkan Ensemble Merkalii, was raised in the Turkish-speaking Romani neighborhood of Gotse Delchev, Bulgaria. He was immersed in many genres of Balkan music during his childhood, played professionally from the age of twelve, and also served as concertmaster of the folk ensemble Nevrokop. Since emigrating to the US in 2001, he has performed and taught in numerous Bay Area venues as well as in many international music camps and VOR events and has mentored many local musicians.
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Accordion/Harmony Workshop with Chris Bajmakovic
1 - 2:15 pm in Ashkenaz's Back Studio
Workshop focuses on Balkan Romani melody and harmony; open to all levels, all instruments welcome. Accordion, keyboard and other chordal instruments encouraged.
Chris Bajmakovic (accordion, keyboard, and vocals) was born in 1973 in Gary, Indiana, and grew up surrounded by Balkan music. His mother, of Romani heritage, is from Bitola and his father is from Ohrid, North Macedonia, both from families of professional musicians. He was classically trained from the age of 5, but taught himself folk music, and played his first wedding at the age of 14. He regularly plays for Macedonian and Serbian events aroumd the U.S. Chris has performed and taught for the EEFC Balkan Music Camps and for 2009 VOR International Roma Day.
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Balkan Singing Workshop with Hristina Ilioska
2:30 - 3:45 pm in Ashkenaz's Back Studio
Workshop explores both Macedonian and Romani singing styles with attention to pronunciation, phrasing, ornamentation, and repertoire.This session is open to vocalists of all levels and experience.
 Hristina Ilioska (vocals) was born in 1996 in Prilep and raised in Bitola, North Macedonia, in a family with several professional folk musicians. She studied flute for many years in school and started singing Balkan pop-folk after she moved to Chicago in 2019. She has performed at Romani weddings and at Macedonian events around the world. In 2025, she toured across the US with renowned Bosnian singers and performed with Chris Bajmakovic at Balkan Night Northwest.
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Balkan Romani Melody workshop with Ismail Lumanovski
4 - 5:15 PM in Ashkenaz's Back Studio
For intermediate/advanced melody players; focusing on repertoire, ornamentation, styling, phrasing, and improvisation. Winds and other melody instruments encouraged.
 Ismail Lumanovski (clarinet) is an international star, known for his mastery of both Western Classical and Balkan/Romani/Turkish music plus his dazzling improvisational skills. Born in Bitola North Macedonia in a Turkish-speaking Romani musical family, he began studying clarinet at the age of eight, attended Interlochen Art Academy and received Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Julliard School of Music. He regularly tours nationally with the Gypsy All-Stars and The Secret Trio and has recorded several albums with them.
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Panel Discussion
5:30 pm in Ashkenaz's Main Hall. Open to all ticket holders and free to pre-show guests.
This discussion will cover the human rights of Romani communities amidst shifting political climates and will be moderated by Voice of Roma board members Carol Silverman and Sylvia Sawislak, including festival artists and panelist Ioanida Costache.
Carol Silverman (panel co-leader) is award-winning Prof. Emerita of Cultural Anthropology/Folklore at the University of Oregon, Voice of Roma Board member and music curator for RomArchive.eu. She has supported Romani culture in the Balkans and the American and West European diasporas for 40 years as a researcher, teacher, activist, and performer. She teaches Balkan singing internationally and toured and recorded extensively with the Yuri Yunakov Ensemble. Her 2012 book, Romani Routes: Cultural Politics and Balkan Music in Diaspora won the Book Prize from the Society for Ethnomusicology.
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Sylvia Sawislak (panel co-leader) serves on the Board of Directors of VOR; she was born in 2000 in Bulgaria and is of Romani descent. Sylvia was adopted at the age of two and raised in the Bay Area. As a Research Assistant in Harvard University's FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, she is currently working with Dr. Margareta Matache, Head of the Roma Program, on a multi-country European initiative on Romani feminist leadership and climate justice; she is contributing to research design, data collection and community-engaged work with Roma women and girls.
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Ioanida Costache (panelist) is Asst. Professor of Ethnomusicology and affiliate of the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity at Stanford University. Of Romanian Romani heritage, she explores the legacies of Romani historical trauma, and the feminist critiques of the present, inscribed in Romani music, sound and art. Her writing has been published in EuropeNow, RevistaARTA, Critical Romani Studies and European History Quarterly.
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Romani Dance Workshop with Jessaiah Zuré
7 pm in Ashkenaz's Main Hall
Open to all ticket holders and free to pre-show guests.
 Turkish Roman Dance the 9/8 rhythm and is mainly performed at weddings or other parties with live musicians. It is a street-style dance which continuously evolves through different movements and interpretations, being very personal in nature while still following traditional movements. In addition, Balkan Romani Line Dances will also be reviewed by Carol Silverman.
Jessaiah Zuré is a California native, the daughter of musicians. Raised primarily in the Bay Area. Jessaiah teaches workshops and classes nationally and internationally, including EEFC Balkan Camps and Middle East Camp at the Mendocino Woodlands.
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8 - 9 pm: Balkan Ensemble Merkalii & Rumen Sali Shopov pick you up and spin you around with their energetic Balkan and Romani dance tunes! Featured band members at this performance include Rumen Sali Shopov – Tambura, Vocals, Ivan Velev – Tupan, Daniel Goldberg – Saxophone, David Solnit – Clarinet, Sharon Grodin – Accordion, Janie Cowan – Bass
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9:30 pm - midnight: The festival concludes with a headlining performance of Ismail Lumanovski with the Herdeljezi Festival Band.
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This festival is presented by Voice of Roma, co-presented by Berkeley Balkan Bacchanal and hosted by Ashkenaz Music and Dance Center. Funded by Zellerbach Family Foundation Community Arts, Berkeley Civic Arts and the National Arts Relief Fund.
Contact festival production manager Peter Bonos, peter...@gmail.com for further information, including volunteer opportunities.
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 Voice of Roma is a California based NGO that promotes the rich cultural heritage of Roma dating back a thousand years, through festivals, workshops, performances and educational presentations. VOR works to heighten awareness of human rights issues faced by Roma in today's world, and to support efforts by Roma to build and maintain their communities, and to improve their lives. In its 27-year history, VOR has supported many educational programs about Roma as well as several national tours of esteemed artists, such as the final American tour of superstar vocalist Esma Redžepova. voiceofroma.com
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