Hi folks,
I love my hometown of Manchester. There are vibrant music scenes in Irish folk, jazz, classical, klezmer pop etc... That said, my experience is there is something of a dearth of mandolinists, bluegrass or people playing plucked instruments generally.
Anyhow, I was walking back home with some groceries this eve, and there was a teenage lady who appeared to have a bowlback mandolin on her back next to me at a crossing. I asked her if she had a mando in her case and she confidently told me it was a domra and was on the way to a rehearsal. We chatted for a couple of minutes and she turned off to go to the rehearsal. Continuing my way home with my soon to be 1 year old boy, two other youngsters carrying triangular shaped instrument cases passed me which I presume were balalaikas.
The original lady that I spoke to said that it was the Kalinka group which is run by her grandfather, didn't take much searching to find their facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/kalinkamanchester
And here is them playing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqWifQehWVM
I find it hugely heartwarming that there is a young group like this that rehearse less than 5 minutes walk from where I live that I didn't know about. Maybe I'll message them and get involved
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