Lineup
Domaći Trubači is Montréal’s only authentic trubači (Balkan brass band), bringing the ecstatic fury and bliss hidden in the hills of Southern Serbia and North Macedonia to the streets and venues of our city. Formed in 2019 by lead trumpeter, Eli Camilo, Domaći Trubači features the signature ear-filling, soulful, and joyous sound of the trumpet, and a rhythm section with a special kind of groove that is sure to keep everyone dancing.
One of North America’s foremost presenters of Balkan rhythms, percussionist Jerry Kisslinger has performed for community events, concerts, and festivals for decades. On the faculty of the East European Folklife Center’s Balkan Music and Dance workshops since 1985, he teaches, in person and online for the EEFC, at workshops in the US and abroad, and with private students. Jerry is a founding member of Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band and currently plays with ZU and Kavala Brass Band as well as Pontic Firebird. He was privileged to learn directly from master Macedonian gajdadji and dancer teacher Pece Atanasovski. He has played with the Yuri Yunakov Orchestra and other top Balkan groups in the US. Jerry’s discography includes Édessa and Friends: Balkan Border Music, and Di Shikere Kapelye, with Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All Stars, as well as four recordings with Zlatne Uste and guest appearances on Raif Hyseni 24 and Dolunay’s Our House. He loves to share his energy and insight with students and is proud to be called a dancer’s drummer.
Kutsi Merki
Kutsi Merki is a Bulgarian expression meaning "crooked measures." Kutsi Merki, the band, performs Bulgarian and Serbian classics with jazz and rock influences and with festive, explosive, and frenetic energy.
Sumak Brass Band
Sumak Brass Band is a soulful and energetic five-piece brass band with a strong Romani influence, playing a wide variety of folk music for dancing from the Southern Balkans (Albania, Bulgaria, etc.), Turkey, and Northern Greece. Featuring modal improvisation, asymmetric rhythms, and the sounds of saxophone, trumpet, trombone, tuba, and tapan.
