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Orkestar Sokoli will perform at the Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University Sunday, April 19, at `A Celebration of Balkan Traditions.`
Orkestar Sokoli will perform at the Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University Sunday, April 19, at "A Celebration of Balkan Traditions."

2015 Spring Folk Art Series at Castellani Art Museum: 'A Celebration of Balkan Traditions'

by jmaloni

Submitted

Tue, Apr 7th 2015 04:05 pm

The Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University hosts "A Celebration of Balkan Traditions" from 2 until 4 p.m. Sunday, April 19. This event is part of the museum's Spring Folk Arts Series.

Guests will have a chance to experience the culture and music of the Balkans, an area covering the southeastern corner of Europe. The event features Orkestar Sokoli, an authentic Serbian Tambura band originally from Lackawanna that has performed together for more than 25 years. The band has traveled across the U.S. performing Serbian music for many cultural events, including concerts, dances, festivals and weddings. Members include Michael Miskuly (violin) Jimmy Raditic (bugarija), Bozhi Ranic (cello brac) and Mark Vranjes (bass).

Adding to the festivities will be special displays of dolls in regional dress, cultural artifacts, as well as food to sample. Wearing traditional dress, presenters will tell their stories and insights.

CAM Interim Curator of Folk Arts Valerie Walawender has been working closely with Mary Helen Miskuly, registrar for the museum. Miskuly has led planning for the event and will share her family's heirloom, traditional embroidered dresses from the Donja Bebrina, Slavonski Brod and Moslavina regions of Croatia.

Event guests will have the opportunity to learn about other Balkan traditions. Many Bosnian, Serbian, Greek and other regional groups celebrate Easter celebrations by roasting lambs on a pacana, a kind of traditional rotisserie, and dying eggs a deep red.

Admission for the event is free for Castellani Art Museum members and $10 for all others. Membership sign-up is available at the event. For more information, call the Castellani Art Museum at 716-286-8200 or contact Walawender at [email protected].

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