BULGARIKA EVENTS LIST with ADDRESSES

[Joyce Clyde]

Dear Friends,

I hope that you will be able to attend some or all 🙂 of the following events.  It's time to dance together again.   

Thank you so very much and hope to see you very soon.

Joyce

16th - Chico International Folk Dancers 

6pm Vocal and Instrumental Workshops 

7:30 Dance

Casa de Flores 

701 Lassen Ave, Chico $20

17th - East Bay Folk Dancers Piedmont CA

Friday, October 17, 2025

7:30 Dance

Piedmont Veteran’s Hall

401 Highland Avenue, Oakland $15

18th - St. Columba’s Inverness CA (Hector Bezanis)

St. Columba's Inverness

Saturday, October 18 - 6pm

Advance tickets $25 — $30 at door, cash only

Children 12 and under free

12835 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.

Inverness, CA 94937

19th - Kopachka Dancers Mill Valley

2-4:30pm Doors open at 1:30pm $15 $7/students 

Strawberry Recreation Center

118 E. Strawberry Dr, Mill Valley

21st - Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center 

1317 San Pablo Avenue Berkeley, California 94702

Doors 7:00 PM  Show 7:30 PM 

22nd - Kolo Koalition 

7 PM Dance 

YLI 1400 27^th St. 

Sacramento  

24th - LIFE Dancers LA CA (Sherry) 

8 - 11pm LA Dancefit

10936 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025-4539

tell your friends

25th - Cabrillo Folk Dancers 

Live Oak Grange 2:30 - 4:30

Potluck to follow

1900 - 17^th Ave

Santa Cruz 

27th - Petaluma Folk Dancers CA

7pm Dance Party 

Hermann Sons Hall

860 Western Avenue

Petaluma

Bulgarika - traditional Bulgarian Thracian folk music quartet featuring:

Donka Koleva (vocals) Nikolay Kolev (gadulka)

Stoyan (Pileto) Kostov Anton (Shekera) Shekerdjiev

Bulgarika is a unique folklore band playing traditional music from all the Bulgarian regions. Nikolay Kolev and Donka Koleva have invited two extraordinary musicians to join them for the 2025 tour: Stoyan Kostov on tambura and Anton Shekerjiev on tupan and kaba gaida.

Donka Koleva (vocals) is a native of the village of Tuzha in the Stara Zagora region of Thrace. She graduated from the National School of Folk Arts in Shiroka Luka, Bulgaria, and performed for three years with the Sliven Folk Dance and Music Ensemble. She was director of the Folk Song Chorus of Sopot, has been a featured soloist on Bulgarian Radio-TV, has participated in numerous singing competitions in Bulgaria and Europe and has been featured on numerous recordings. In 1997 her recording of Javore was named 'Song of the Year' in the Bulgarian national radio competition. Since immigrating to the U.S. she has taught and performed widely across N. America, both privately and at numerous camps, festivals and other events. In addition to her vocal talents Donka serves as Bulgarika’s manager and has organized 12 national tours for the bands Kabile’, Cherven Traktor, Bulgarika and the Kolev Family Ensemble.

Nikolay (Kotata) Kolev (gadulka) a native of the Thracian Rose Valley village of Karavelovo, has been playing gadulka since age 10. After graduating from the National School of Folk Arts in Shiroka Luka, Bulgaria, he performed for three years with the Sliven Folk Dance and Music Ensemble. In 1984 he founded the orchestra 'Sopot'. In 1985 he formed the wedding-music ensemble 'Rozova Dolina' and in 1992 the prize-winning ensemble 'Balkanski Glasove'. In 1994 and 1995 the latter group took first prizes at the Varna Festival. Nikolay has accompanied many well-known singers including Vulkana Stojanova, Roumen Rodopski and Todor Kozhuharov. He has also taught many students at a number of Balkan camps in the U.S. In 1999, Nikolay was the first Bulgarian to be recognized by the Slavic Heritage Council of America for his outstanding contributions to music.

Stoyan (Pileto) Kostov has been playing Bulgarian tambura for over 50 years. He graduated from the folk music school in Kotel and the Plovdiv Academy of Music and Dance. Stoyan performed with Ensemble Trakiya and played tambura with Harmanliska Troika, and guitar with the Ograzhden ensemble in Sandanski, where he also directed the 'N. Vaptsarov' Folk Ensemble. Currently he lives in Phoenix, AZ.

Anton (Shekera) Shekerdjiev developed a deep appreciation for traditional music from a young age. Born into a family of musicians in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, his father's performances at weddings in the Thracian Valley instilled in him a profound understanding of the region's vibrant musical culture. He formed a Balkan music band with fellow Bulgarian musicians brothers Hristevi in Spain, touring extensively throughout the Iberian Peninsula. He relocated to the United States, where he formed the band Kyklo with an American musician deeply inspired by Balkan music. He is honored to be touring with Bulgarika.

More Info: https://www.facebook.com/bulgarikanyc/

 

[Joyce Clyde]

 

Dear Friends,

There are still a few opportunities to see Bulgarika while they are in town. All the events have been really top notch and a blast so far.  A really big THANK YOU to all the hosting venues and attendees to date and those yet to come.  I hope that you will be able to catch some or all 🙂 of the following dance events.    

Thank you so very much and hope to see you very soon.

Joyce

For more Tour dates beyond the Bay Area see the Virtual Dance Room Chicago managed by Payl Collins.