Orkestar Bez Ime: Where It All Began Did you know: Vital statistics about Rogaria... country code: ROG population: 5 currency: brill primary language: Rogarian ("Roggy") biggest export: musicians

Meet OBI

left to right: Natalie Nowytski, Tim Wahl, Dee Langley, Katrina Mundinger, Colleen Bertsch

Orkestar Bez Ime, meaning "orchestra without a name" in Bulgarian, met in the Ethnic Dance Theatre and has since grown to be one of the Midwest's hottest and most sought-after international dance bands specializing in Balkan music. Using a mix of folk and modern instruments—including accordion, clarinet, dumbek, flute, guitar, kaval, tambura, violin and voice—the group stays close to traditional Eastern Europe through its American melting-pot sensibility.

Comprised of alumni and members of Ethnic Dance Theatre (EDT), OBI focuses mainly on Balkan music, but presents the full range of international folk dance interests from Scandinavia to Israel to French Canada and beyond. Members include Dee Langley who has played accordion since age 4 squeezing all the way to play for the Dolina Folk Dancers (1989-1996) and Ethnic Dance Theatre (since 1998). Tim Wahl (kaval, tambura, kitchen sink) was a founding member of EDT in 1974. He likes nothing more than a set list which requires him to change instruments for each tune. Natalie Nowytski honed her vocal skills at her grandmother's knee and climbed her way onto the lap of Mila Vocal Ensemble, which she directed for five years. She has also performed as a percussionist since 2000. Katrina Mundinger has played clarinet since 1979 and folk music since 1994. She was a member of Rakia and a leader of Boris & Natasha. In 2000, Colleen Bertsch bravely answered a panicked call from EDT for violinists and has weathered more than her fair share of odd meters and fast tunes, and brings a wonderful string sound to OBI.

OBI Discography

• Nice Driveway, Vol. 3: Rogarian Baba-que, 2007 (coming October 13!)
• Nice Driveway, Vol. 2: Lake Aquanyet Days, 2006
• Nice Driveway, Vol. 1: Cheers from the Land of the Freeze, 2005
• Iz tamne noci (From a Dark Night) (with Mila Vocal Ensemble), 2004
  

Pressroom (for articles and reviews of OBI & the Nice Driveway trilogy)

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