Review: TAMBURITZANS PRISM FULL SPECTRUM CULTURE at Glenridge Performing Arts

A Cultural Tour With The Tamburitzans

I am particularly delighted to share this review with you. Being of Serbian heritage, and raised near the Pittsburgh area, I have followed The Tamburitzans since I was a child. This group opened doors for me as a kid to see my heritage come to life onstage. Their bright colored costumes, lively dances and European instruments had me mesmerized. I had the honor of attending their current production titled "Prism, Full Spectrum Culture" with a dear childhood friend I hadn't seen in several decades, who was a former Tamburitzan member. Seeing her perform so many years ago with this group inspired me to take up the flute and encouraged me to hold our heritage and family traditions in my heart.

The Tamburitzans, formerly the Duquesne University Tamburitzans, are the longest-running multicultural song and dance company in the United States. They are headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Summed up best in their mission statement, the organization affirms, "The Tamburitzans are dedicated to perpetuating international cultural heritage through entertaining performance while awarding scholarships to talented and deserving students attending a Pittsburgh-based school."

The "Tammies", as they are affectionately called, were formed in 1937 by Dr. Lester Pierce. He brought the "Slavonic Tamburitza Orchestra" from St. Edwards's University of Austin to Pittsburgh. They were immediately embraced by Pittsburgh's diverse ethnic communities. Dr. Pierce negotiated an arrangement with Duquesne University, involving a work scholarship program, and the tradition of The Tamburitzans began.

Their concert started with a beautiful light display. Like the title of their show, "Prism", the lights created depth and movement in a stunning array of shapes and patterns that embellished the stage and the ceiling above the audience. The big screen at the back of the stage revealed a country on the globe. Croatia. As the video zooms in to that region, pictures of traditional costumes, local cuisines and natives of that land, put a face on the name of its people. A little history is displayed across the screen and you feel like you made a new friend. The large energetic ensemble graces the stage wearing colorful garments of Croatia and start a typical European circle dance the Croatians and Serbians call a Kolo. Like many Balkan songs and dances, it starts out slow then gains momentum.

Next we go to Armenia, Romania, the Ukraine, Slovenia and Greece. There we are treated to everyone's favorite "The Dance of Zorba". After a short intermission we are taken to Serbia. I think there were a lot of Serbians in the audience, or maybe they were the most vocal. Then we are whisked away to Cuba for some Latin flair, Scotland for Celtic melodies, and Ireland for some lively pub music. We move on to Bulgaria and Macedonia for the close of this cultural tour of Europe.

All of these dances required performers to have strength and agility with the ability to sing and play instruments. Some of the instruments used included the flute, various percussions, a cimbalom (dulcimer), prim, brach (mandolin-like), stand up bass, guitar, violin, and accordion. The small stage could hardly contain the 29-member ensemble but they adjusted beautifully which made for a dazzling performance in an intimate setting. The costumes representing the countries they were honoring were gorgeous and every attention to detail was highlighted. For example, in some regions of the Balkans men wear boots. The Serbs on the other hand wear moccasin type shoes. In Greece men wear a mariner's cap while in other parts of Europe men wear a Cossack hat. Irish gents wear a pub hat known as a Boston Scally. This attention to detail made the program all the more authentic and interesting.

What The Tamburitzans bring to a concert is unity. Just seeing the diversity of heritage, clothing, musical instruments, songs in native tongues, and traditional dance routines, spoke to my soul. In a time where our world is in so much turmoil and we have come to loathe our differences instead of celebrating them, The Tammies bring more than a concert. They bring an example of how we can live with respect for each other. There was a wonderful diversity of audience members, many of whom were Slavic, Polish, Italian and American who sat under one roof, in peace. They came to appreciate all cultures. Kudos to Tammie Artistic Director George Butch Kresovich who staged a production that appeals to everyone. He laid down some tough routines and his Tammies were up to the task. As we say in Serbian, Zivio! (Long live!).

Over several decades The Tamburitzans have recorded albums and toured worldwide performing music and dance mainly from Eastern Europe and its neighboring cultures. In 2014, Duquesne University announced that the Tamburitzans would become an independent nonprofit. In 2016 The Pittsburgh International Folk Arts Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation headquartered in Pittsburgh, became their official supporter.

The Tamburitzans expanded its repertoire throughout the past 8 decades to include a wide variety of folk dance and ethnic music, representing worldwide cultures. For many, their shows have become an annual tradition. The ensemble dazzles audiences across the country with elaborate and traditional costumes, and incredibly versatile musicians, singers and dancers. The Tammies are made up of full-time students who have chosen to continue the legacy by bringing international cultures to the Modern Stage. I encourage you to see them when they are performing in a city near you.

For more information about The Tamburitzans tour or booking, visit www.TheTamburitzans.org. Special thank you to Mr. Kresovich and Elaine Vucelich.