The Tamburitza Extravaganza and its “evolution” in the American tamburitza musical ecosystem

Abstract

The Tamburitza Extravaganza, a musical event in the United States organized by the Tamburitza Association of America (TAA), has presented tambura-based ensembles for over 50 years. At the event, American stylistic variants of Croatian and Serbian music are performed to exuberant diaspora audiences, and musicians are honored for sustaining tamburitza music. Drawing on the author’s experience as an Extravaganza performer, interviews with TAA members, published TAA documents, and published tamburitza sources, the Tamburitza Extravaganza is analyzed as a sui generis music festival using the musical ecosystem model.

Keywords

• tamburitza (ensembles)
• croatian diaspora in north america
• serbian diaspora in north america
• musical ecosystem
• sustainability