Balkan Babes

The Balkan Babes emerged over ten years ago when a group of women in Victoria, B.C. began to explore the choral traditions of Eastern Europe's Balkan region. Over the years, the casual singing group became a dedicated vocal ensemble, and the Balkan Babes gained local recognition singing at festivals and concerts throughout Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, including Victoria's Luminara Festival, the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria Folkfest, the Islands Folk Festival, the Victoria Conservatory of Music Summer Festival, and the Filberg Festival. In 2008 the Babes stepped onto the national stage as first place winners in the Pan Cultural Traditions category of CBC Radio 2's biennial amateur choral competition, 'Choral 2008'. In August of the same year they released their latest CD, Divna, described as "an entrancing album of world music from one of the city's much loved choirs" (John Threlfall, Monday Magazine).

Operating as a collective, without a director, the Balkan Babes showcase a capella music of Eastern Europe, including Macedonia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Dalmatia, Serbia, Georgia and the Ukraine. In doing so, they enchant audiences with the penetrating harmonies and asymmetrical rhythms that characterize the rich and ancient musical traditions of the region. While the Balkan Babes strive for an authentic sound in vocal production and pronunciation, they also open up many of the songs to their own contemporary interpretations and arrangements