Darebin Music Feast: A Balkan Tavern Soiree

Join SARAY Iluminado for a one-off intimate tavern-style concert at the Northcote Town Hall! Lead singer Nela Trifkovic and the violinist Ernie Gruner shed light on Bosnian and Sephardic Jewish folklore and cultural traditions through their songs and stories. Maverick multi-instrumentalist Irene Vela enriches this gathering by weaving in textures of the Cretan Lauto-Bozouki and sharing her own familial stories and histories. Kelly Dowall unfolds the Ottoman subtleties of the selected Sevdah and Sephardic repertoire through arrangements for the ney flute and the clarinet. Double bassist and vocalist Dan Witton makes his SARAY Iluminado debut performance, bringing his simultaneously ancient and contemporary musical style. This is a night to sing and tell tales of love and grief, hope and despair. These are the songs of seduction and betrayal, of desire that is fed with honey and quenched with plum brandy. These are the stories that unveil the essence of the Balkan soul and melodies that make the spirit grow wings when it feels like it's falling!