Preface                                                                                                                                 xv

I       Tamburas and Tamburitzas..............................................................................................1

The Tamburitzas..........................................................................................................3
What Are Tamburitzas?.............................................................................................10
Beloved Tambura.......................................................................................................11
Another Life: Tamburitza and Classical Music..........................................................14
Tamburitza and the New Millennium........................................................................16
Playing Tamburitza into the New Century:
       The Popovich Brothers since 1925.......................................................................18
Saga of the Lost Berda...............................................................................................20

II      Artists and Craftsmen......................................................................................................23

America’s Early Tambura Craftsmen.......................................................................25
Nicholas Hayden: Aliquippa’s Builder of Tamburitzas.............................................27
John Pecnik and Tambura.........................................................................................28
Tamburitzas from Vojvodina....................................................................................30
Nikola Vasich: World-Class Master Violin-Maker....................................................30
The Artistry of Bozo Podunovac................................................................................32
Building Tamburitzas: Preserving the Art.................................................................33
Other Lives of Tamburasi: Matt Rebrovich..............................................................35
Other Lives of Tamburasi: Adam Popovich.............................................................37

III    Other Instruments..............................................................................................................41

The Guslar and His Gusle........................................................................................43
Traditional Wind Instruments.....................................................................................46
The Violin Joins the Tamburitza...............................................................................49

IV    Brothers...............................................................................................................................53

The Crlenica Brothers.................................................................................................55
The Popovich Brothers of South Chicago..................................................................56
Living Legends Reunited............................................................................................57
The Kapugi Brothers..................................................................................................60
The Skertich Brothers.................................................................................................61

V      Fathers and Sons...............................................................................................................65

The Dokich Dynasty..................................................................................................67
The Kachars: Tambura to Pop..................................................................................68
The Return of Del Casher..........................................................................................69

VI     The Ladies..........................................................................................................................73

The Ladies and Their Tamburitzas...........................................................................75
The Trivanovich Sisters.............................................................................................76
Sevdalinka to Volksoper—Diane Chirich.................................................................78
Serbian Songstresses.................................................................................................79
The Marovich Sisters.................................................................................................82
Vocalist Olga Kolman...............................................................................................83
The Ladies of Sarena Orchestra..............................................................................85
The Unsung Heroines................................................................................................86

VII   Tamburitza for the Young................................................................................................89

Balkan Serenaders, Veseli Brdjani, Orchestra Mokranjac.....................................91
The St. Archangel Michael Tamburitzans of South Chicago, Illinois.......................93
The St. Nicholas Serbian Tamburitzans of Monroeville, Pennsylvania....................94
Juniors Come of Age.................................................................................................96
Where is the Next Generation?...................................................................................97
Tamburitza Lives on in Windsor..............................................................................100

VIII  Orchestras..........................................................................................................................103

The Balkan Serenaders and Tillie Klaich.................................................................105
Balkan Strings of Canada........................................................................................106
Banat Orchestra.................................................................................................... ..108
Becari Orchestra of San Francisco..........................................................................109
Continentals of Cleveland.........................................................................................110
Drina’s Young Men.................................................................................................112
Dunav Orchestra Old and New................................................................................113
Hej Becari.................................................................................................................115
Hollywood Tamburitzans..........................................................................................116
Isidor Bajich Orchestra............................................................................................118
Jedinstvo of Phoenix..................................................................................................120
Kosovo Orchestra.....................................................................................................122
Lika Tamburitza Orchestra.......................................................................................123
Ljubavi Tamburitzans...............................................................................................125
Minnesota Musicians I................................................................................................127
Minnesota Musicians II..............................................................................................129
Orao Orchestra of South Bend.................................................................................131
Plavi Jadran of Cleveland.........................................................................................132
Plavi Mjesec Tamburitza Orchestra.........................................................................133
Prijatelji are Friends..................................................................................................135
Rajsich Quintet..........................................................................................................136
Sloboda and Svetozar Tomich Orchestras:
       The Pride of St. Louis...........................................................................................138
Soko Orchestra of Nebraska.......................................................................................140
South Chicago Tamburitzans:
       Rotkvich and Ratkovich Orchestras....................................................................142
Star Serenaders:
       Deanovich’s Stars.................................................................................................143
Starigrad and Mike Radicevich..................................................................................145
Sviraj Orchestra.........................................................................................................146
Vatra Ziva...................................................................................................................147
Zora Orchestra..........................................................................................................148

IX    America’s Early Tamburitza Stars...................................................................................151

Tamburitza’s Earliest Recording Artists...................................................................153
Dushan Jovanovich.....................................................................................................154
Elijah Miskovich and His Great Balkan Tamburasi..................................................155
Milan Verni.................................................................................................................157
The Balkan Orchestra of Stevan Zerbes...................................................................159
Sar Planina Orchestra of Chicago............................................................................160

Rasha and Mirko........................................................................................................165
Edo Lubich................................................................................................................166
Steve Pavlekovich......................................................................................................167
Jammin’ with Julius...................................................................................................169
The Legendary Zupkovich.........................................................................................170
Alexander “Sanda” Pavlovich...................................................................................172

XI     Master Performers.............................................................................................................175

Steve Barich, Tamburas............................................................................................177
Ted “Tosho” Erdel.....................................................................................................178
Danny Kukich—Meet the Maestro.............................................................................179
Pete Radakovich..........................................................................................................181
George Skrbina...........................................................................................................182

XII   Continental, Classic and Jazz............................................................................................185

The Musical Escapades of Danilo Kozarski...............................................................187
Vojislav Vasich..........................................................................................................189
Knez Jakovac.............................................................................................................190
Goran Ivanovic..........................................................................................................192

XIII  Getting Together.................................................................................................................195

“A Century of Progress” and “Yugoslav Day”........................................................197
Tamburitza United...................................................................................................200
Tambura’s Golden Era............................................................................................202

XIV  Tamburitza Center Stage..................................................................................................207

Tamburitza Hot Spots I............................................................................................209
Tamburitza Hot Spots II...........................................................................................211
Jugoslavija and the Miramar.....................................................................................213
Music and More at the Miramar................................................................................215
Tamburasi in Old Baltimore....................................................................................217
Milan’s Restaurant Remembered..............................................................................219
Last Ring of the “Rafters”
       Long-Time Mecca for Musicians.......................................................................220
“Tamburitza Testimonials”
       and Dances of 1969 and 1970............................................................................222

XV   Tambura Honored............................................................................................................225

Tamburitza Goes to Washington ... and Nashville.................................................227
       The Popovich Brothers Go to Washington, D.C...............................................227
       Roy Acuff and Tamburitzas.............................................................................228
Tamburitza Smithsonian-Style................................................................................229

XVI   Recording, Preserving and Promoting..........................................................................233

Tamburitza’s Golden Age of Recording.................................................................235
The Patriotic Songs...................................................................................................237
Preserving Tamburitza Recordings.........................................................................239
Steve Popovich.........................................................................................................240
Gordana Trbuhovich.................................................................................................241

XVII  Tambura Lore.................................................................................................................245

Down Memory Lane..................................................................................................247
“Tamburasi” Tales....................................................................................................251
Tamburitza, Drina, and Me......................................................................................256

Index........................................................................................................................................... 261