caption website associated_acts years_active image_size article_title name background birth_date instrument genre origin birth_name occupation
bibs with balalaika and garmoshka . -lsb- http://www.bibsekkel.com/ www.bibsekkel.com -rsb- tziganka , russian tornado , 1960s - present 200 bibs ekkel
 bibs ekkel non_vocal_instrumentalist 11 january 1946 balalaika piano , garmoshka , guitar , seven-string guitar , russian folk , russian gypsy , brighton , u.k. vyvyan john ekkel balalaika bandleader , author player , composer , singer , songwriter ,
bibs ekkel

bibs ekkel -lrb- born 11 january 1946 in brighton -rrb- is one of few exponents of the balalaika outside russia .
bibs is of a mixed polish-english background .
his career as a professional balalaika player has covered concerts , cabaret , recordings , films and innumerable radio and t.v. appearances throughout europe and north america .
it has earned him recognition too in the balalaika 's motherland , where he has performed on radio and tv as well as at moscow 's prestigious `` hall of columns '' and `` tchaikovsky hall '' .
he has lectured on russian folk music at american universities , co-authored a bbc radio educational series on the subject and worked as russian music adviser for several bbc tv productions .
he has also had russian or polish speaking roles in a variety of movies .
in addition to his activities as a soloist , ekkel runs a highly successful russian music and dance ensemble , `` tziganka '' , which has toured internationally since 1975 , an instrumental quartet `` balalaika potpourri '' -lrb- started by him in vancouver in 1989 , soon after his move there from london -rrb- and the duo `` russian tornado '' , specifically aimed at school concerts .
some of his many recordings have been issued by `` russkiy disk '' moscow , cbs israel , and `` decca '' in london .
