Music trio to hold Saturday-night jam

The Balkan musical trio Sviraj has invited the community to experience Eastern European music in a highly spirited jam at 8 p.m. Saturday.

The concert, co-sponsored by the nonprofit organization Friends of World Music and presented by The ArtsCenter in Carrboro, will showcase the musical heritage of the former Yugoslavia, as well as other regions of Eastern Europe.

Sviraj, which translates to "Play!" in Serbian and Croatian, comprises three members of various musical and cultural backgrounds.

The group has performed throughout the country for PBS, the Library of Congress and National Public Radio, as well as at various folk festivals and on college campuses.

The Friends of World Music is a nonprofit organization that has worked to spark interest in folk traditions and cultures in the Triangle since 1991.

"We are trying to expose people to world music that they haven't experienced before," said the group's executive director, Jessie Cannon.

The members of Sviraj have similar goals in bringing the ecletic music of various cultures to a wide audience.

Danilo Yanich, an associate professor at the University of Delaware, performs on the bugarija - a chorded instrument similar to the guitar - as well as the accordian and sings with the group.

Yanich said that the most important thing to understand about Sviraj is the mixed nature of the band's music. All of the band's members draw on their national heritages, ranging from Serbia to Croatia, Macedonia to Greece.

Given the stark differences and conflict often presented in the media about the region as a whole, Yanich said that their music negates the simplistic view of their cultures many might hold.

"The music is really the glue of the culture," said Yanich.

The members of the band grew up in Pennsylvania, immersed in their respective cultures and surrounded by music at weddings, funerals and celebrations.

"It is the music that was always around us ... It's natural to us," Yanich said.

As musicians, the three members of Sviraj have played in several genres. Yanich has a jazz background, while violinist Raczar Lopatis is classically trained.

Despite experiences outside of the music of their culture, Yanich said that they are all three drawn back to - and impassioned by - it.

"You come back to the music of your soul," Yanich said.

The concert is part of the World Arts Festival presented by the ArtsCenter of Carrboro. In its third year, the festival, planned in cooperation with UNC's University Center for International Studies, holds performances by world musicians of myriad backgrounds.

"The idea is to highlight and showcase the extensive variety of world music that we have not only in our backyard but from all over the world," said ArtsCenter Marketing and Concerts Director Tess Mangum Ocana.

Ocana said that the music of Eastern Europe is unique in that it includes both the frantic joy of circle dances, as well as more melancholy moments.

"It encompasses the highs and lows of life," Ocana said.

Sviraj's performance lends itself to the vibrance of their music. Yanich said that the group aims to reduce the natural distance between themselves as performers and the audience.

"Don't be shy - come here and dance," said Ocana.

Tickets to the show are $18, but Ocana noted that UNC students arriving just before showtime, if it is not yet sold out, will be able to get in for $5 with a valid UNC OneCard.

Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.