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Tuition is by pay-what-you-can donation, with no one turned away for lack of funds.
Bulgarian-born Turkish Romani master percussionist, multi-instrumentalist, band leader, and vocalist Rumen "Sali" Shopov offers a series of four workshops exploring traditional drumming techniques and the unique odd-metered dance rhythms of Bulgaria, Macedonia, Turkey, and Greece.
Drummers of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of experience are welcome to attend. Each class will provide opportunities for beginners to learn basic techniques and rhythmic patterns, and allow more advanced students opportunities to learn more technically challenging syncopations, fills, ornaments, and opportunities for improvisation.
In addition to drumming, Rumen "Sali" will share dance steps and songs that related to the rhythmic patterns presented as well as cultural context information about how various rhythms are utilized in Balkan and Romani ritual celebrations.
These workshops will be designed for tupans/davuls and dumbek/darabukas. Instruments can be provided and/or purchased upon request if students do not have their own.
Students are encouraged to attend the full 4-workshop series, however each class will present new material and drop-in/single class participants are welcome.
ABOUT RUMEN "SALI" SHOPOV
Rumen “Sali” Shopov is a master Turkish-Romani drummer, drum maker, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, music teacher, composer/arranger, and dancer from Gotse Delchev, a cultural crossroads town in the Pirin Mountain region of Southwestern Bulgaria. In addition to the vibrant musical life of Rumen’s “mahala” (Romani neighborhood), his birthplace hosts a rich intersection of Bulgarian, Macedonian, Greek, and Turkish musical influences.
Obsessed with music since his early childhood, Rumen was drumming professionally at community celebrations by the age of 12. He went on to master the tambura (Bulgarian long necked lute) and became the concert master of the Nevrokopski Ensemble, Bulgaria’s first national folk ensemble, with whom he produced many recordings and toured throughout Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Canada. Rumen also led the wildly popular Bulgarian-Macedonian wedding bands “Shturo Make” and “Orbita.”
Since emigrating to California in 2002 and becoming a Voice of Roma Romani Routes touring artist, Shopov has performed with artists and ensembles including Yuri Yunakov, Esma Redzhepova, Teodossi Spassov, Dzambo Agusevi, Ismail Lumanovski, Eugene Hutz (Gogol Bordello), Edessa, Ziyia, Kitka, Balkan Stars, Bulgarika, and the Varimezovi Family Band, among many others.
A charismatic, patient, and challenging teacher, he is the recipient of ACTA Master-Apprentice program grants and has taught Balkan music at the California Jazz Conservatory, East European Folklife Center,UC Berkeley, University of Oregon, University of Texas (Austin), New England Conservatory, the Balkanalia, World, Kosmos, Stockton, Lark in the Morning, and Folklore Camps. He has also performed and taught at Balkan Music and Dance gatherings in Mexico and Brazil and has mentored the Bay Area ensemble Inspector Gadje, Brass Liberation Orchestra, Orkestar Sali, Brass Menazherie, and Fanfare Zambaleta. He currently leads the Meraklii Ensemble, and is the Music Director of San Diego's Balkan Fest.
Rumen’s work has been recognized by grants from the Creative Work Fund, NEA, MAP Fund, Fund for Folk Culture, Alliance for California Traditional Arts, City of Berkeley Civic Arts Commission, and the Center for Cultural Innovation.
This workshop series is supported, in part, by The Alliance for California Traditional Arts Living Cultures program and is co-presented by Voice of Roma and The Kitka Institute.
For questions about the class, instruments, or private lessons, contact Rumen "Sali" at 510.847.7918 or rumenashopov@gmail.com.