San Francisco Tamburitza Festival

For the past decade the Croatian American Cultural Center has annually showcased the best tamburitza music in California and presented nationally renowned orchestras. On President's Day weekend each February; the Center is filled with singing, dancing, and the music of the tamburitza. For two days the San Francisco Bay Area reverberates with tamburitza music, both traditional and contemporary.

The Gypsy Stringz will headline the festival in 2010. They can play just about anything that's Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Italian, Rumanian, Hungarian, or Slovak.  They are famed as the house band at the Gypsy Cafe, Southside Pittsburgh, where they hold forth every Thursday evening.  It's a rare treat to hear their hot tambura music on the West Coast.  Join us for Valentine's Day weekend at the San Francisco TamFest. Also playing will be the Kolo Festival Band, Novi Stari Tamburasi, Dalmacijo Singers, Slavonian Traveling Band and Sidro Tamburitza Orchestra.

Two locations to celebrate! On Saturday 2/13 at 8PM the traditional Welcome Dance will be held at the Ashkenaz Dance and Music Center in Berkeley.  The Gypsy Stringz and the Kolo Festival Band will play for dancing including kolos. Jerry Duke will teach kolos to start the evening.  Eszterlanc Hungarian Dance Esemble will perform later in the evening. On Sunday 2/14 at 1PM the music moves to the Croatian American Cultural Center in San Francisco for the finale with the Gypsy Stringz and all the performing groups. The Center will host a full Concert, sing-a-longs, participatory dancing, exhibits and the lively music of the tamburitza resounding from two halls.  Tickets for the Sunday show are available from www.Brownpapertickets.com

Food will be available from 1PM on Sunday.