Thousands of musicians play Balkan music outside the Balkans. Most of them are not of Balkan ancestry and fell in love with a tradition not their own. If you're one of them and have a Web site, or are already on the list and have a new URL, send e-mail to and I'll update the directory. Since no band lasts forever, some links below may no longer be active.

OUTSIDE THE USA
Alphabetically by country

• Australia: Isfahan plays music of the Balkans, North Africa and the Middle East. Band member Malcolm Fielding also operates Web radio station live365, whose playlist includes these international tunes.
• Australia: Tsrvena Kniga plays Macedonian music and has both a CD (with sound samples) and book of musical transcriptions available.
• Australia: Xenos, from Preston.
• Austria: Kyrillikata is two guys from Poland who play Bulgarian and Macedonian music on accordion in Vienna.
• Belgium: Lioutenitsa plays Bulgarian music in Brussels.
• Canada: Angstones.
• Canada: The Boys from Buf play Macedonian music.
• Canada: Dobri Decki is a tamburica band in the Vancouver area.
• Canada: Seoski Lopovi Tamburashi are based in Ontario.
  Canada: Tamburaski Orkestar Kardinal Stepaninac is affiliated with Immaculate Heart of Mary Croatian Catholic Church in Vancouver.
• Czechoslovakia: Gothart plays "rajija 'n' roll."
• Denmark: Balkan Transit has been playing since 1988 in Aarhus.
• Denmark: Orchestra Mihalache features Romanian cimbalom player George Mihalache.
• England: 3 Mustaphas 3 have achieved international notoriety.
• England: Baghdaddies play energetic, horn-driven Balkan ska up in Newcastle upon Tyne and have sound clips and a CD available.
• England: Dunav plays Balkan music in London.
• England: London Sevdah performs Bosnian music in London.
• England: Szapora plays jazz-influenced traditional music from Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans.
• Finland: Nefes, the "one and only Finnish-Turkish-New-Zealander acoustic band playing Turkish music in Finland").
• Finland: Slobo Horo has two CDs; their site was last updated in 1996.
• Finland: Svirki Svirjat (with a sample from their CD).
• France: Gürültü (no Web site, email only) plays Balkan and Turkish music, plus their own originals, in Bourges.
• Germany: Jerewan brings a modern sensibility to music of the Balkans and Caucasus -- "Balkanblues und Kaukabilly".
• Hungary: Falkafolk.
• Hungary: Rece-Fice.
• Hungary: Söndörgő Ensemble plays South Slavic music from Hungary.
• Hungary: Vujicsics plays Balkan and tamburica music.
• Hungary: Zsaratnok.
• Italy: Balkan Babau Circus Orkestar from Trieste offers two sound clips. A babau is "a kind of little naughty ghost," they say.
• Italy: Dragan Trio is a quartet from Rome playing Balkan and klezmer music. In Italian, with music clips.
• Italy: Kraski Ovcarji from Trieste plays Balkan-flavored rock -- here's their mp3.com page.
• Italy: Opa Cupa is mostly Italian musicians, with a Bosnian guitarist and Albanian accordionist.
• Italy: Sniper.
• Netherlands: Csókolom, based in Amsterdam and Berlin, plays Hungarian, Romanian and Rom music.
• Netherlands: De Amsterdam Klezmer Band has recorded with the Galata Gypsy Band from Edirne in European Turkey.
• Netherlands: Duo Izvor (Michiel Bakkes and Bregje Tijman) performs Bulgarian music on accordion and tapan.
• Netherlands: Galina Durmushliyska, a Dobrudjan singer, now lives in the Netherlands and works with the trio Kusmet and orchestra Lorelei.
• Netherlands: Iduna, an 11-member band, plays music from the Balkans, Eastern Europe and elsewhere.
• Netherlands: Lautareasca plays Balkan, Irish, Scots and klezmer music.
• Netherlands: Mista plays Balkan and other folk music for dancing and listening.
• Netherlands: Slavuj performs Balkan and Eastern European vocal music in Amsterdam.
• Netherlands: Balkanswingband Sultan.
• Norway: Farmers Market, who did a concert with Ivo Papazov and whose recordings include "Speed/Balkan/Boogie" (an excellent idea!).
• Norway: Ulaband plays "music from all over the world, but mostly Balkan," Torstein Ruud tells us.
• Sweden: Den Flygande Bokrullen, a Swedish klezmer band that also plays Greek and Balkan music.
• Sweden: Orientexpressen plays Balkan, Scandinavian, Eastern European and Turkish music and has a CD.
• Sweden: Süperstar Orkestar, from Stockholm, plays Balkan brass band music.
• Switzerland: Balkan Bazaar plays Balkan dance music in Zürich.
• Switzerland: Ssassa plays Balkan, Rom and Middle Eastern music and has several CDs.
• Sweden: Andra Generationen (Second Generation), from Goteborg, plays Balkan, Turkish and Rom music with a hot, modern sound. Nice Web site (in Swedish). The band includes emigre and Swedish musicians.
• Sweden: Spúkah Gúma, from Halmstad, plays Bulgarian and Macedonian music.
• Sweden: Other Balkan bands include Athinas, Cabare Oriental, Nema Problema and Kopanitsa, according to Leif Isebring.
• Vojvodina: LADAABA (La Danza Apocalyptica Balcanica) from Novi Sad technically doesn't qualify for this list, as it is actually based in the Balkans, but it definitely has the right attitude. Good look, good samples.

IN THE USA
Alphabetically by state

• California: Anoush plays music from the southern Balkans and has a CD.
• California: Big Rock Balalaikas , starring Judy Sherman from Odessa Balalaikas and Andy King from every famous L.A. Balkan band of the '70s and '80s, heighten the cultural consciousness of the Central Coast.
• California: Chubritza performs Balkan music in idyllic Arcata.
• California: Danubius, including my old pal Barbara Deutsch, plays Eastern European and Balkan music in the Bay area.
• California: Drita plays Albanian music in Los Angeles and has a CD.
• California: Edessa plays hot music from the Balkans, Greece and Turkey in the Bay area and beyond (no Web site).
• California: Farabi in Santa Barbara.
• California: Kitka, a women's choir in the San Francisco Bay area, performs songs from the Balkans and beyond.
• California: T'Adelfia, John Pappas' Greek orchestra in Stockton.
• California: Savina Women's Folk Choir in San Francisco.
• California: Slavonian Traveling Band plays tamburica and Rom music.
• California: Sviraci plays Balkan village music (and a little Scandinavian on the side) in the Bay area.
• California: The Toids are a cool Balkan band born at CalArts and now hanging out in San Francisco.
• California, Washington and Massachusetts: Ziyiá, an excellent traditional Greek ensemble with bicoastal roots, has released two fine CDs.
• Colorado: Planina sings songs of Eastern Europe.
• Connecticut: Zabe i Babe in Middletown released a recording, Drumovi, with the fabulous Ansambl Teodosijevski.
• East Coast: Izgori has been performing traditional Macedonian music since 1993. No Web page, but you can contact them by email.
• Illinois: Boduli plays Croatian tamburica music in Chicago and the Midwest.
• Illinois: Izgrev plays Bulgarian wedding music in Chicago.
• Illinois: Sinovi of Chicago melds Croatian tamburica music with other idioms.
• Indiana: Spatter Dash, a folk band in South Bend.
• Massachusetts: Bez Veza is based in Shelburne.
• Massachusetts: Cambridge Folk Orchestra.
• Massachusetts: Divni Zheni, a Bulgarian women's chorus and band directed by Tatiana Sarbinska in Boston.
• Massachusetts: Flying Tomatoes in the Boston area.
• Massachusetts: Gogofski Trio, with David Golber, plays music from the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia and surrounding areas.
• Massachusetts: The Pinewoods Band in the Boston area.
• Massachusetts: Rakiya plays Rom music in the Boston area.
• Massachusetts: Tamburitza Troubadors in the Boston area.
• Massachusetts: Tom Pixton in the Boston area.
• Massachusetts: Zdravets is "Boston's friendly neighborhood Bulgarian band."
• Massachusetts: Zornitsa Bulgarian men's choir in the Boston area.
• Michigan: The Ethnic Connection in Ann Arbor, featuring David Owens, formerly of the L.A. band Nama.
• Michigan: Immigrant Suns in Detroit: "Balkan village indie-rock, or improvised pop hooks with topical lyrics? Arabic garage folk or avante world beat?".
• Minnesota: Ethnic Dance Theatre in Minneapolis has a folk orchestra and women's choir, Mila, that perform music from Eastern and Central Europe and have each released a CD.
• Missouri: Continental Drift plays Balkan music in Kansas City.
• New Mexico: Kathryn Stately, formerly of XSKO, is a Balkan singer in Santa Fe.
• New Orleans: Panorama Jazz Band includes Eastern European tunes in its repertoire.
• New York: 9 Olives skillfully plays izvorni music from Macedonia, with sound samples on their site.
• New York: Bogomila, in New York City, features Seido Salifoski, Ismail Butera, George Stathos and Annette Ezekiel.
• New York: Frula Show, a Serbian band in New York, offers four RealAudio sound clips.
• New York: Kolevi Family Orchestra is led by Nikolai Kolev and includes Donka, Penka and Maria Koleva, sometimes joined by Adam Good and Matt Moran.
• New York: Merak, an excellent Macedonian dance band in Syracuse, offers 14 songs for your listening pleasure
• New York: Paradox Trio.
• New York: PECTOPAH ("Restoran") is a 6- to 10-piece Balkan jazz orkestra based in New York City, expanding and contracting from gig to gig.
• New York: Romashka is a New York based band playing Romanian and Russian Gypsy and folk music.
• New York: Slavic Soul Party is "downtown's answer to Balkan party music: brash and strong as slivovitz."
• New York: The Yuri Yunakov Ensemble is led by Yuri, a Bulgarian emigre who played sax with Ivo Papazov, and has released three CDs with his own band of Bulgarian and American musicians.
• New York: Zagnut Circus Orkestar plays Balkan brass band music, with mp3s available on their site.
• New York: Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band, North America's leading Balkan brass band, has released several fine recordings and hosts noteworthy Balkan music events in the NY area.
• North Carolina: Kudzustvo plays Eastern European and Balkan music in the Raleign Triangle area.
• Ohio: Oberlin College Slavic Folk Choir.
• Ohio: Hajde, in Columbus, plays Macedonian and Bulgarian folk music for dancers.
• Ohio: Harmonia, led by the legendary Walt Mahovlich, plays music from Eastern and Central Europe.
• Ohio: Zivili in Columbus is a professional South Slavic dance company with an orchestra and CD.
• Oregon: Balladina plays Balkan dance music in Eugene.
• Oregon: Kafana Klub plays Balkan music in Portland.
• Oregon: Milen Slavov and Zhivka Papancheva play traditional and contemporary Bulgarian music in Portland.
• Pennsylvania: Bulgarian Women's Ensemble (a.k.a. the Balkan Babes) in Pittsburgh.
• Pennsylvania: Duquesne University Tamburitzans in Pittsburgh.
• Pennsylvania: Gypsophilia is a trio in Philadelphia that plays Balkan and Middle Eastern music and originals.
• Pennsylvania: Tamburashki Orkestar SELO plays in the Pittburgh area.
• Pennsylvania: Svitanja is an Eastern European women's chorus in the Philadelphia area.
• Pennsylvania: Sviraj in Steelton.
• Pennsylvania: Tamo Daleko in Pittsburgh.
• South Carolina: Turku plays music from the Balkans to Iran, and has a great site.
• Texas: For 25 years, Austin Balkan Singers has been doing "a cappella and minor instrumental Balkan music with a third coast twist." No Web page yet.
• Utah: Zivio performs music and dance of the Balkans and maintains a calendar of ethnic and folk dance events in the Salt Lake City area.
• Washington, D.C.: Lyuti Chushki's strong lineup of Bulgarian and American performers plays traditional Bulgarian music in the Baltimore-Washington area.
• Washington state: Balkana is a Seattle-area youth dance ensemble -- no band, but they're pals, so we'll bend the rules.
• Washington: Balkanarama plays Balkan nightclub music in Seattle, hosts this site and released CDs in 2000 and 2002.
• Washington: Balkan Cabaret is a popular collaboration of singer Mary Sherhart and the band Nisava.
• Washington: The Cociks, no longer active, played Balkan and international dance music in Seattle.
• Washington: Ensemble Sub Masa plays Carpathian, klezmer and Turkish music (including live accompaniment for the film Nosferatu).
• Washington: Folk Voice plays music from all over Europe, including the Balkans
• Washington: Hejira plays world jazz from the Balkans and Middle East.
• Washington: Kosava is a women's Balkan choir formerly affiliated with Radost.
• Washington: Kultur Shock plays killer Balkan rock in Seattle and released a live CD in 1999.
• Washington: The Makedonians are a free-floating Balkan band in the Olympia-Tacoma area.
• Washington: Mary Sherhart is a Balkan vocal soloist and teacher in Seattle and performs with Nisava as Balkan Cabaret.
• Washington: Nisava plays Eastern and Northern European music in the Puget Sound area, and performs with Mary Sherhart as Balkan Cabaret.
• Washington: Orkestar Radio-Televizija Woodinville (RTW), good buddies of ours, plays Bulgarian and Macedonian music in Seattle.
• Washington: Pangeo, with Christos Govetas, Ruth Hunter and friends, plays superb regional Greek music.
• Washington: Pasatempo, featuring Christos Govetas, Ruth Hunter, Dave Bartley and friends, specializes in Greek rebetika.
• Washington: Radost is Seattle's leading ethnic dance company and often is accompanied by live musicians.
• Washington: Sandra Layman is an excellent violinist playing klezmer, Balkan and Turkish music.
• Washington: Seattle Junior Tamburitzans have been playing Croatian music since 1970.
• Washington: Sinovi plays tamburica music in Seattle.
• Wisconsin: Izvor plays Balkan and international music in Milwaukee.
• Wisconsin: Na Lesa Bulgarian Folk Ensemble is accompanied by Orkestra Makedonska.
• Wisconsin: Prazna Flasa (Empty Bottle) plays tamburica music in Milwaukee.
• Wisconsin: The Reptile Palace Orchestra in Madison (here's what they sound like -- 584K .wav).
• Wisconsin: Sloboda plays Serbian and Balkan music in Milwaukee.
• Wisconsin: United Serbs play in the Milwaukee area.
• Wisconsin: Vatra plays Croatian music in Milwaukee.
• Wisconsin: Szászka, in Madison, plays traditional Hungarian dance music from Transylvania.

OTHER RESOURCES

The East European Folklife Center sponsors memorable Balkan music camps on the West and East coasts of the U.S. every summer and runs an e-mail discussion group on Balkan music and folklore.

Folk Dance Fridays organizes many Balkan events in the New York area.

Northwest Folk Dancers Incorporated offers a guide to international dance in the Pacific Northwest.