Yuri YunakovBulgaria’s most famous saxophonist, Yuri Yunakov, was born in Haskovo, Bulgaria, of Turkish Rom ancestry and rose to fame with the band "Mladost" and his subsequent 10 year collaboration with Ivo Papazov and "Trakiya.." With his Romani Wedding Band, Yuri performs Bulgarian and Romani (Gypsy ) music from the Balkan countries of Bulgaria and Macedonia. This music is renowned for its haunting melodies, dense ornamentation, complex rhythms, and stunning improvisations.
The geographical position of the Balkans in southeastern Europe and hundreds of years of Ottoman Turkish rule have created a wealth of influences from both East and West. The band plays in a contemporary style called "wedding music," so named for its ubiquitous presence at life cycle celebrations such as weddings and baptisms where dancing and music are a requirement. This style, which gained popularity in the 1970's, emphasizes virtuosic technique, improvisation, rapid tempos, daring key changes, and eclectic musical literacy. A multiplicity of styles, such as jazz and rock, and a multiplicity of sources, such as Turkish and Indian musics, are combined with Balkan rural and urban folk musics. In Bulgaria, "wedding music, " while officially suppressed by the socialist government, thrived in private settings as a means of countercultural expression.
Yuri Yunakov, a self taught virtuoso saxophonist, immigrated to New York City in 1994, formed his own band, the Yunakov Ensemble, in 1995, and has toured extensively in the U.S. with them, as well as recording three Traditional Crossroads CDs. Yuri’s self identification as a Romani musician has positively contributed to non-Romani audience awareness in a way that counteracts stereotypes about “Gypsies”.
The “Romani Wedding Music Goes Global” fall 2007 U.S. tour is produced by the Romani non-profit organization, Voice of Roma’s “Romani Routes” program dedicated to educating audiences about the music and culture of the Romani people.
Post new comment