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| Josh Middleton |
Ben Pitt
Lori Secanska
Josh Middleton
Lucy Tasker
Austin Cooper
John Macnaughton
Tim Karp
Blistering Balkan music with RAKA on
A World In London at Resonance 104.4fm.
Hear Ben
Pitt, Lori Secanska, Josh Middleton, Lucy Tasker,
Austin Cooper, John Macnaughton, and Tim Karp ignite
our studio with their uplifting repertoire derived from Bulgaria,
Romania, and Macedonia! Plus songs by recent #AWIL guests Angie
Paice and Jason Kwan Music! #London #globalmusic #worldmusic #Balkans #BalkanMusic #livemusic#music #radio #Raka #band #accordion #davul #tuba #clarinet #saxophone#viola #vocals Pics
& production by Sophie Darling Norman Druker Alban
Low #DJRitu
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| Austin Cooper |
Austin Cooper - TUBA
Growing up in a house of seven in the
fen lands of Norfolk, Austin was consigned to the string section in
the interests of keeping the family peace. As soon as he hit the road
to London he started honking on bigger and bigger things until
gaining access to a dubiously acquired tuba through the hands of Josh
Middleton. Cutting his bassline teeth with Yoshke and the Wolves,
leading UK brass band BYOB, mainstay of dub reggae outfit General
Skank and a few other pots on the boil, playing with Raka is the
biggest test of his springy diaphragm.
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| Lucy Tasker |
Lucy Tasker - CLARINET
Lucy started playing the clarinet from
the age of 10 in Japan where she lived as a child. She has studied
Balkan music and jazz in Belgium and London, and traditional
Bulgarian folk under Bulgarian maestros in Plovdiv. She has toured
playing festivals and venues across the UK and abroad.
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| Ben Pitt |
Ben Pitt - VIOLA
Ben Pitt is a London based Viola and
Gadulka player, with a dedication to East European folk music and
particular interest and experience in Bulgarian folk music. As
a Graduate in Music at Sussex University, Ben’s professional
training over the three years was at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of
Music and Dance. Over the more recent years he has reiteratively
traveled to Bulgaria to learn from masters of the style, Angle Dobrev
from Zornitsa Orkestra and Atanas Slavov-Mravcho as well as study at
the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts in Plovdiv. As a
performer Ben has collaborated with many musicians form
projects such as; Barcelona Gypsy Balkan Orchestra, Tantz, Bucimis,
and Don Kipper. Ben has studied with Dzambo Agusevi Orkestar and has
taught at the London Fiddle Convention.
Josh Middelton - ACCORDION
Josh Middleton is an accordionist and
composer specialising in Klezmer and East European Folk styles. He
has been performing music professionally since the age of 14,
graduated from the School of Oriental and African Studies with a
first class degree in Ethnomusicology, and has since been intensively
studying both Klezmer and Bulgarian music, the latter at the Academy
of Music, Dance and Fine Arts, Plovdiv. Josh has worked with many
Klezmer and Balkan music ensembles such as She’koyokh, The London
Klezmer Quartet, Tatcho Dorm, Raka and Don Kipper, has shared a stage
with Klezmorim such as Frank London and Merlin Shepherd, taught at
Klezfest London alongside Klezmer scholars such as Alan Bern and Joel
Rubin, and recorded for artists as diverse as DJ Vadim and Kadialy
Kouyate.
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| John Macnaughton |
John Macnaughton - SAXOPHONE
Professional Saxophonist and
Clarinettist specializing in the folk/world music scene in London.
John studied on the prestigious BA Jazz course at Leeds College of
Music (2010), and recently graduated from the MA Music Performance
course at SOAS (2017) with distinction. Having played with many
leading ensembles and musicians including, Guinean Griot; Mosi Conde,
Nigerian Afrojazz band, 'Ayetoro', Afrofunk band 'Bronzehead', and
Croatian Big Band 'Mimika', John has also worked in theatre(the
London Bubble, Nick Cassenbaum, Viva Productions), and done various
sessions for TV and film(Bleach Productions). Over recent years John
has focused his energies on Klezmer and Balkan music. Having studied
with leading musicians including Merlin Shepherd, Susie Evans, and
Frank London.
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| Lori Secanska |
Lori Secanska - VOCALS
Lori Secanska is an experienced
vocalist, performer and a session singer, originally from Slovakia.
She collaborated with many world music and experimental projects all
over Europe, was a member of an international choir Apsora led by a
Roma singer Ida Kelarova, a lead singer of a 40-piece ensemble London
Gypsy Orchestra and recorded vocals for an award winning independent
film 'Never let Go'. She performed at many international festivals
and venues such as Pohoda Festival(Slovakia), Ealing Jazz
Festival(UK), Union Chapel, Southbank Centre and St James
Theatre(UK). Lori currently performs with a klezmer band Oysland and
a balkan band Raka.
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| Tim Karp |
