Divi Zheni - Press

Press Photos, Releases, Quotes

Quotes and links to full articles are here
Press photos are here
Press releases are here

Press Quotes & Articles

With giant red flowers in their hair, traditional blouses and black skirts, the women of Divi Zheni, Boston’s Women’s Bulgarian Chorus and Band, gave a lively performance on April 7 at the Brighton-Allston Congregational Church. Their name means “Wild Women,” which is also a great way to categorize their performance....

Victoria Grove - The Allston-Brighton Tab
April 18, 2010
Click here for Victoria Groves' complete article

In Bulgaria, these songs are often carried through mountains and villages in the harmonies of women’s and girls’ voices, which, once heard, are difficult to forget, and which have gained an international following. Divi Zheni, a women’s Bulgarian folk ensemble, has been dedicated for 10 years to bringing these sounds to area audiences.

Margaret Smith - The Arlington Advocate
February 16, 2010
Click here for Margaret Smith's complete article

Best Bets. This is our pick of the best of the 'burbs. ... The Divi Zheni women's chorus is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a Balkan music fest and silent auction, also featuring performances by Bulgarian men's chorus Zornitsa, Croatian tamburitsa ensemble Pajdashi, and Zdravets...

The Boston Globe
February 14, 2010
Click here for the article

Sarbinska and her Balkan choral group Divi Zheni (Wild Women) will lead partygoers in traditional Bulgarian Christmas caroling and other songs, and there will be plenty of dancing and Eastern European treats to taste. “It’s not going to be a traditional concert with us in front of the audience,’’ says Sarbinska... “We sing, we jump together. We want them to create through their body, to create with their voice, to feel this wonderful singing. This is [a] kind of wild music, coming from the top of a mountain.’’

Lydia Rebac - The Boston Globe
November 22, 2009
Click here for Lydia Rebac's complete article

Even this sad sentiment [of a sad love song] resonated with a joy found in the natural cycles of life, and created an air of intimacy drawing together the performers to a very packed house.

It’s this warmth – and mastery of a sound only achieved through performers’ rigorous discipline – that may explain why Balkan music, once a novelty in folk circles, is now gathering followers dancing to the beat of a syncopated drum.

Margaret Smith - The Lexington Minuteman
November 23, 2007
Click here for Margaret Smith's complete article

Divi Zheni is made up of Boston-area women and is conducted by Tatiana Sarbinska, a world-renowned Balkan vocalist, teacher, and former soloist with the internationally acclaimed Pirin Ensemble, who is the only Bulgarian in the group.

The chorus performs folk music from Bulgaria's many different regions, ranging from village style to choral arrangements. The concert will feature unusual songs of love and longing and of war and peace. Some of the numbers are silly and others are stately, but all are pleasing to the ear.

Carol Britton Meyer - The Hingham Journal
January 12, 2006

Press Photos

Divi Zheni's "Mini Group" performing in Woburn, MA, Nov 14th, 2009.
Photo by Henry Olds ©2009. Click photo for hi-res image.

Divi Zheni's "Small Group" performing in Woburn, MA, Nov 14th, 2009.
Photo by Henry Olds ©2009. Click photo for hi-res image

Press Releases

April 13, 2007
Celebrate Mother's Day with Divi Zheni (Wild Women) in a Concert of Bulgarian Women's Music
PDF Version
MS Word Version