How do you write a review of a performance dance group that wears Viking costumes, uses bones to play their drums, and has pyrotechnics so badass that I could feel them twenty rows back in the audience? I was clapping so hard during Vakali’s performance at the National Palace of Culture (NDK) in Sofia last week that my hands still hurt?
There’s a lot more to Vakali than drums and fire machismo, however. For example, the lads are surprisingly proficient at tap dancing! And, while drums are definitely the main act, an accompanying troupe of female interpretive dancers has a few numbers that incorporate music with traditional Balkan instruments like the Kaval and the Tambura. If I recall correctly, at one point there was even a solo act with a Tambourine.
Here’s a video with some highlights:
Something For Everyone
There’s something for almost everyone in the performance. In my youth I spent a fair amount of time moshing and crowd surfing at metal and hardcore concerts, but the wisdom of aging — even to the ripe old age of thirty one — has made me content to just smile and clap along from the safety of my seat. Vakali are great entertainers and I would highly recommend that you go see them if the opportunity ever comes up.
