Raka are a 9-piece ensemble that play traditional music from the Balkans. They take their name from a traditional Bulgarian dance the ‘Raka,’ full of leg kicks, clicking heels and hands held high, the unmistakable groove of a ‘Raka‘ bringinging everyone to their feet.
"Our music has a strong focus in the folk traditions of Bulgaria and Macedonia, as well as the Romani music that span far and wide across the Balkans. Our meandering musical tributaries have all led us to one communal river: the love and commitment to understanding and interacting with the music of the Balkans. We do not play ‘fusion music’, and neither do we imitate.
"We bring to life a genuinely authentic repertoire wherever we are, from sweaty back rooms of North London clubs to concert halls on the banks of the Thames. We took the dance for our name as that’s what we love to do best: to move. A heart rending lament can move the body as much as a pounding Bulgarian Pravo, and in Raka we have made space for both, and everything in between."
"Absolutely magnificent, no one can sit still listening to Raka!" DJ Ritu, A World in London - Resonance FM
MR MORSKI
While some rock stars wither and fade, and retire into lives of decadent decay, others rage on with a passion, joy and energy which is hard to explain and impossible to capture. Such is the way with fiery-eyed Miroslav Morski - Bulgarian rock star supremo and Turbans/Gipsydelica front man. His is the guitar that laughs and the voice that tells tales of a Roma life which we Londoners can scarcely imagine.
Mr Morski will bring a special, never-before-seen solo show to The Courtyard which he has been developing for several years.