The Berkeley Balkan Bacchanal at the Starry Plough presents
Trio Dulce Amar with special guest Ionela Guzic (9pm)
The Keepers (11 pm)
Doors at 8:00pm; Show at 9:00pm.
Admission: $12. Ages 21+ after 10 pm

Trio Dulce Amar with Ionela Guzic
Moldovan and Romanian traditional music is known for its swift, complex rhythms, musical improvisation, and rich melodic ornamentation. Traditionally performed by Romani musicians, the Lautari musical style encompasses soul-wrenching ballads, high-energy wedding dances, and village-style tunes. Hailing straight from the source and having been steeped in this tradition from birth, Sergiu Popa and Valy Lautar passionately embody these traditions, transporting the audience back to the weddings and the summer nights on the porches where the duo grew up. They are joined on cimbalom by Balder ten Cate.

Ionela Guzic is a talented young singer and a rising star in the world of Romanian traditional music. She has performed with many iconic musicians from Romania (e.g., Ansamblu Doina Gorjului, Ionica Minune, Cristinel Turturica) and Moldova (e.g,. Lautarii din Chisinau, Fratii Stefanet). Ionela was born in Targu Jiu (Romania), and graduated from the Music Department in Craiova. She has received numerous awards at national and international folk music competitions. In 2015, Ionela published “Spune-mi mamă ce e doru”, an album of songs that represent the beauty of the folklore from the Gorj region where she grew up. The album was received with widespread acclaim, was featured on many radio and television stations in Romania, and helped launch Ionela’s international career, including tours in the United States.

The Keepers start with a bedrock of traditional Arabic beats by brother Faisal Zedan, add a layer of impeccable accordion by Dan Cantrell, and finish it off with a harmonious frenzy of horns by Joey and Calvin Lai.