Balkan music

The singer dances a tsifteteli while listening to her duet with The Kings

The Agia Fanfara brass band will awaken your Christmas spirit with traditional Balkan and Gypsy anthems at the Embros Theater (embros.gr), housed in the facilities of a former printing press, after 10 p.m. on Christmas Day. The 25-member collective can often be spotted playing on the streets of Athens, bringing the sounds of a traditional Balkan panigiri wherever they go. Admission is free.

The recent gathering of Western Balkan leaders along with top European Union officials in Athens, following an invitation from Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (on the 20th anniversary of a summit between the EU and Western Balkan countries in the northern port city of Thessaloniki) was naturally overshadowed by the previously unannounced presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelens

BRUSSELS - The EU special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak said Tuesday's Brussels meeting of the dialogue would be particularly important.

The transfer of the presidency of the Balkan Cities Network from Istanbul to Athens on Monday was accompanied by strong political messages by the mayors of both cities, Ekrem Imamoglu and Kostas Bakoyannis, on the need to strengthen democracy, peace and cooperation. 

The city of Athens will welcome mayors from 66 cities and 10 countries in the Balkans on January 22-24 in the context of the B40 Balkan Cities Network Conference.

For nations once at war, such musical exchange offers hope for the future of cross-border culture in a region where, for the most part, language is no barrier.

The Balkan region is full of easy targets for Iran in its confrontation with the US.

Almost 50% of Bulgarians like chalga. This is indicated by the results of a Trend poll. 48% of the participants answered positively whether they liked pop folk music. 41% of the respondents are of the opposite opinion.

Manele music is hugely popular among Romania's Roma minority, but decried by others.