Balkan Babes

Multiple award winning 9 woman vocal group Balkan Babes began in Victoria in 1999 as a community of women learning and sharing a capella folk music from various regions of the Balkans. By 2005, the Balkan Babes had evolved from a grassroots choir to a performance-oriented vocal ensemble, remaining dedicated to the challenging and highly rewarding process of being a collective, with no director. The nine current members, coming from Saltspring Island, Cowichan Valley and Victoria, were part of the original group. Over the years, the Balkan Babes have gained local and national acclaim singing at many festivals, events and concerts throughout Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, winning 2008 CBC Radio Canada's Choral competition (traditional category) and most recently, the 2014 Vancouver Island Music Awards in the World Music category for their recording of "Oine Doine".