Vadya Bendas on a Giustozzi piano accordion

[Matt Butcher]

I got this shared with me on a Facebook:

Seems like a quality piano accordion. About the music: I think the name Bendas seems to come up on Russian websites. But I wondered if anyone knew what the music was, or what type of music. I thought it sounded a bit like Romanian music but I could very easily be way off.

 

[maugein96]

Matt,

Brilliant player, sounds like a Bulgarian kolo, but like yourself I'm not 100% sure. With Balkan music I reckon only people from that area can tell the difference, and there are Romanian tones to it. However, the tempo suggests Bulgarian to me.

Nice accordion, but I wouldn't sell my shirt to buy it, as Vadya Bendas (his name also sounds more Bulgarian than Romanian) appears to have done!

 

[Matt Butcher]

Thanks Maugein, I didn't know what a kolo was and now I do: a two beat circle dance apparently. I know some Romanian music, long story, and this did seem to have some of that flavour or use some of the licks (plus they love their piano accordions). But it wasn't quite what I was expecting either. It was a fantastic experience at a Romanian wedding when the DJ stopped playing Italian house music and dropped an old time hora record, EVERYONE from 8 to 80 jumped up immediately and started going round in a circle, talk about a living tradition. I don't know Bulgarian music at all so it's interesting to hear what you think. I was hoping he had a flesh coloured T shirt on but I'm not sure that he does - well, priorities... clothes or accordions... let's hope it doesn't come to that...