October 2-5, 2003
Eastern U.S. Middle Eastern and Balkan Music and Dance Camp
organized by Tayyar Akdeniz and Artemis

A REVIEW/REPORT BY TAHYA
Photos: C. Miller

Participation at this camp devoted to Middle Eastern music and dance with some of the most accomplished musicians in the eastern United States gave attendees a chance to revel in joyous celebration. The camaraderie of a camp - bunking with strangers who soon become friends, "breaking bread" together, learning new dance steps, songs, and drum rhythms - has all the ingredients for a treasured experience, and this camp lived up to that potential.

My personal experience of reuniting with old friends was greatly enhanced by the new friends I made and it was heartwarming to stroll through the camp and witness the music instructors teaching small clusters of students sitting in circles learning from these master musicians.

All the dance classes ~ Egyptian Oriental with Cassandra, Turkish Oriental with Artemis, Turkish Romany with Tayyar and Balkan folk dance with Steve Kotansky~ were all filled to capacity and everyone got the chance to practice the new step(s) learned at the evening parties where one of the finest ensembles of musicians I've ever had the good fortune to witness played for us ~ Omar Faruk Tekbilek (Ney, Zurna and Baglama), Yuri Yunakov (Saxophone), Tamer Pinarbasi (Kanoun), Avram Pengas (Bouzouki), Haig Manoukian (Oud), Souren Baronian (Clarinet and Tamborine), Hamit Golbasi (Ney, Zurna) and Seido Salifoski (Doumbek) among them. Eloise Miller said, "These were incredible musicians incredibly fired up!"

Robin LaPasha shared my enthusiasm for the outstanding band assembled at the camp:
"The best thing (about camp) was some really hot musicians, most of whom were both performers and teaching staff. Yuri Yunakov had three nights of really pleasant sets that could be listened to in (the back of) the same room, as opposed to his more usual next-building-over levels. The other musicians were equally rocking. I never imagined that a kanun and a sax were such a good mix! Tamer Pinarbasi is amazing; he plays the kanun like Michael Hedges played the guitar-all kinds of techniques and sounds that you just were NOT expecting folks to make on this instrument. There was a 'serious' percussion section for the house band, between Seido Salifoski, Polly Ferber, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Souren Baronian, Brad Sidwell, and Tayyar Akdeniz." Avram Pengas and Haig Manoukian maintained their prowess as string virtuosos and Avram, as ever, was effervescent in the middle of this fine cast.

Robin also reminded me "There was a lovely before/after dinner impromptu jam session going every day in the area near the fireplace, with most of the house band plus some campers on percussion."

In the music classes, Souren (on tambourine), Brad, Seido, and Tayyar's drum classes (and Cassandra's extra zils class) had a reasonable/manageable number of percussion students. Carl Miller expressed his gratitude stating that in addition to beginner drumming classes being offered, there was also a class for intermediate drummers, and he "appreciated the class actually was advanced."

The other musicians also held classes--in kanun, oud, bouzouki, ney, zurna, and baglama (saz). Nevertheless, there was plenty of room for more students, so for anyone intersted in ney, saz, oud, bouzouki, zurna or kanun instruction, this would have been an ideal opportunity to enjoy personalized instruction.

As I talked with some of the other camp attendees inquiring if they were enjoying the camp as much as I, one participant cited Faruk Tekbilek's zurna and ney class as one of the camp highlights. She explained how during the class he described the correlation between the 7 holes in the ney corresponding to the 7 chakras and 7 openings in the head and then, she said, this discussion deepened into "an astounding creative color visualization."

The caring, supportive, engaging persona of event planners Artemis and Tayyar drew like-minded individuals and despite a record-breaking cold snap the first two days of the camp, a warm spirit permeated the camp. The rustic accommodations amidst the pines at Ramblewood in the Susquehanna Valley of Maryland gave the camp an 'earthy' ambiance and our meals were abundant with hot food. Ramblewood served these producers well for their first attempt at offering an East Coast Middle Eastern Music and Dance Camp but I think they will be looking for accommodations available earlier in the calendar so a surprise cold snap doesn't take anyone unawares at the next event.

My only regret is that this unseasonably cold weather prohibited our enthusiasm for the traditional nightly bonfire drum circles so I will patiently wait till next year's camp for that. Nevertheless, as my roommate Jessie Bassil said, "It was cold but we arose early every morning and danced late into the night. I would like to add that both of the evening programs were great! Cassandra was breathtaking and Artemis, as usual, was sparkling and beautiful." Another camp participant chimed in, "The band was hot hot hot!"

I asked Tayyar how he felt about the event and he said, "I was dreaming to make a camp on the East Coast. I am so happy the dream came true. I shared a lot with the dancers and the musicians. Also, it makes me very happy it was a good camp which makes it clear for me there is a future for this camp." Artemis commented, "We wanted to create an environment where dancers and musicians with diverse areas of interest could come together and learn and teach and jam ~ and we did! We had people with all levels of expertise in attendance and we welcomed them all. Folks enrolled from as far north as upstate New York and down to Georgia and as far away as England."

Among the international dance and music staff were representatives from several Middle Eastern countries as well as several of Romany heritage and a few from the United States. Our wonderfully diverse backgrounds became a vehicle for the celebration of this extraordinary music and dance, and through our common passion, we came together hand-in-hand reconnecting with our gypsy spirit within.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to Tayyar and Artemis for their attention to all the details in organizing such a successful event. How do I measure its success? The joie de'vivre I observed amidst the nearly one hundred participants. Thanks to *ALL* the teaching staff, musicians, assistants, and fellow campers for a memorable experience that brought great joy to my heart/mind/soul.

October 2-5, 2003 Eastern U.S. Middle Eastern and Balkan Music and Dance Camp organized by Tayyar Akdeniz and Artemis

2004 CAMP DATES: May 28-31, 2004 ~ South Mountain YMCA Camp, Reading, PA

October 2-5, 2003
Eastern U.S. Middle Eastern and Balkan Music and Dance Camp
organized by Tayyar Akdeniz and Artemis