Seattle Times
The Northwest Folklife Festival going down at Seattle Center every Memorial Day weekend, has announced a Bulgarian theme for its 2011 program. A highlight of the Bulgarian focus is an exhibit of photographs, “Voices & Images from Bulgaria: 1966-1979,” taken by Martin Koenig, founder of the Balkan Arts Center in New York. A special performance will be given by Bulgarian singer Tsvetanka Varimezova and her husband, piper Ivan Varimezov, along with their two daughters on vocals and tambura. As always, the festival will host a Balkan participatory dance featuring local Balkan and Bulgarian dance bands as well as workshops, panel discussions, lectures and children’s activities. In addition to the Bulgarian program, the festival offers a Northwest Stories component, which opens Friday, May 27, at the Charlotte Martin Theater. The evening showcases the variety of ways stories are told, through performance, dance and song. It draws on talent from the Seattle Storytellers Guild, Hugo House, Jack Straw Productions, Pongo Teen Writing Project, Voices Rising, SPLAB and the Longhouse Education and Cultural Center at Evergreen College. The festival also brings back the All Ages, All Day Showcase at Experience Music Project / Science Fiction Museum on Sunday, May 29, featuring the 8-Bit Showcase, in which “chiptune” musicians repurpose old Game Boys and video-game systems, using the limited 8-bit tones to make original music. With something for all ages, all tastes and all budgets there is no reason to miss out on this year’s Folklife, so check the link above for more details on this year’s festival.