"Culpability" is the first CD by Bobba Culpa, a group of singers and instrumentalists who play folk-dance music from around the world, with an emphasis on Eastern Europe. Authentic costumes and instruments are featured in their performance of dance tunes from locales that include primarily Bulgaria, Greece, the Former Yugoslav Republics (Macedonia, Serbia, and Croatia), Romania, Armenia, and elsewhere, including music of the Rom (Balkan gypsies). In addition to familiar instruments (clarinet, violin, piccolo, saxophone, flute, guitar, bass), Bobba Culpa features unusual ethnic instruments, including tambura (Bulgarian and Macedonian mandolins), kaval (end-blown flute), laouto (large Greek mandolin), dumbek (Turkish single-headed drum), and tupan (large, double-headed drum). Songs are sung in the language of the country of origin in authentic vocal style. Many band members attend workshops and music camps to learn the tunes, songs and musical styles of the Balkan region.
Although few of the members have direct ancestry in Eastern Europe, most have been regular participants in international folk-dance programs in the Capital District of New York state for several years. Their interest in the unusual, uneven dance rhythms and beautiful melodies led many to the instruments and to singing. In 1990, group leader Barbara MacLean moved to the Albany area and recruited local folk-dancing musicians to form the band. Current members include:
Barbara MacLean clarinet, tambura, vocals, percussion,
music director
Bob Schulz tamburas, laouto, guitar, bass, vocals
Sarah Cohen violin, vocals
Karen Klevanosky saxophone, flute, piccolo, kaval,
dumbek, tupan, vocals
Nancy Peterson vocals
Donna Eastman bass, accordion, vocals
The more difficult problem was to find a name that sounded ethnic, without being too country-specific. According to MacLean, "There's one guy in the group named Bob. If anything goes wrong, we blame it on him." This gave birth to the phrase "Bobba Culpa," (think "mea culpa,") and the group liked its diffuse ethnic sound so much (Bobba sounding like the Slavic 'Baba' for grandmother) that it was adopted as the band's name.
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