Krekhts is a rough and ready Berkeley psychoklezmer band that sifts through the deep drawers of Klezmer history — from the factory floor to the cheapest seats in the Second Avenue cabaret, to the Borscht Belt and the Yiddish radio. They play frenetic bulgars and soul-wrenching ballads in mameloshn (Yiddish), medineh-loshn (English) and loshnkoydesh (Hebrew). Mike Tal (guitar), Binya Kóatz (vocals), Atid Kimelman (clarinet), Aaron Goldstein (drums/vocals), Daniel Goldberg (alto sax), and Seng Chen (bass) forge gelt from the Yiddish past to pave the way towards the joyously liberated Yiddish future. Featuring special guest Ilya Kreymer on accordion.
Duygu & Friends is a dynamic ensemble celebrating the music of Anatolia and the Aegean, offering folksy interpretations of Turkish popular and classical songs. With its evolving lineup and creative collaborations, the group brings fresh energy to traditional sounds. For their upcoming performance at the Berkeley Balkan Bacchanal, the core duo Duygu Gün on guitar and vocals, and Peter Bonos on oud and trumpet, will be joined by Faisal Zedan on percussion and Marco Ghezzo on violin, accompanied by captivating belly dancing by Melike Şengül.