Award–winning women’s vocal ensemble from Victoria, BC

Balkan Babes began as a humble grassroots community acappella singing group in 1999, learning and sharing Balkan folk songs from various regions. By 2005, the Balkan Babes had evolved into a performance-oriented vocal ensemble. By 2008, they received national recognition for their music.

Over the years, the Balkan Babes gained local acclaim singing at many festivals, events and concerts throughout Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.In 2008 the Babes stepped onto the national stage as first place winners in the Pan Cultural Traditions category of CBC Radio 2’s biennial amateur choral competition, ‘Choral 2008’.

The nine women that make up the Victoria, BC based Balkan Babes are dedicated to both the intricate music ofthe Balkan region, and to the challenging and highly rewarding process of being a collective, with no director. The ‘Babes’ are drawn to the penetrating harmonies, asymmetric rhythms, unusual ornamentations and powerful emotions that characterize the rich and timeless folk music of Eastern Europe. While the Balkan Babes strive for an authentic sound in vocal production and pronunciation, they also open up many songs to their own contemporary interpretations and arrangements.

August 2008 saw the release of theBalkan Babes’ first full-length CD, Divna, described as “an entrancing album of world music from one of the city’s much loved choirs” (John Threlfall, Monday Magazine, Victoria B.C.). In early 2013, the ‘Babes’ released their newest CD “Volio”, also recorded and engineered by Russell Dawkins, to more warm reviews: “A stunning celebration of the power of the human voice, Volio will bring great pleasure to any fan of the choral traditions” (Dave O Rama, BC Musician Magazine). An album that explores themes of love, longing, and loss, “Volio” bridges cultures and times, making accessible the diverse musical traditions of the Balkans to music lovers near and far.

Balkan Babes are :

Chantal Leblond

Faro Annie Sullivan

Genevieve Charbonneau

Laura Matthias Wilder

Karen Visser

Kelly Sherwin

Kristin Scott

Pam Campbell

Rebekkah Dickson

For more information on our group and discography please visit our website at:

www.balkanbabes.ca

Or contact us directly at balkanbabes@hotmail.com