For the past two decades the Croatian American Cultural Center has annually showcased the best tamburitza* music in California and presented nationally renowned tamburitza orchestras.
On President's Day weekend each February; the Center is filled with singing, dancing, and the music of the tamburitza. The hall reverberates with a rich tapestry of tambura music both traditional and contemporary. The ensembles perform for listening, play dance tunes, polkas and waltzes and circle dances, and sing Becar tunes until the bar closes late at night.
*Tamburitza is a word with a variety of meanings. Most literally, it is the affectionate diminutive of tambura, any one of a number of long-necked fretted string instruments derived from those brought to the Balkan Peninsula by the Turks and Roma (Gypsies) - in the 16th century.
The headlining band will be Tamburaski Sastav Ponoc (Midnight). They are today's virtuostic, new generation of musicians and vocalists. Members are Peter Kosovec, John Huckle, Mark Stafura, Ben Wagner, Nikola Vranesevic. They have all performed for Duquesne University's famous Tamburitzans. Peter Kosovec is a well known songwriter with numerous cds to his credit. Also performing will be the Slavonian Traveling Band with Lilla Serlegi, and other Tamburitza Orchestras.