Chubritza was founded in 1993 in Arcata, California. Chubritza is the name of a Bulgarian table spice which is usually served as a mixture of savory, salt and paprika. The name reflects the band's variety and mixture of international musical tastes and textures, while retaining a Balkan and Eastern European emphasis

Chubritza plays international dance music for folk dance events, weddings, bar mitzvahs, cultural celebrations, parties and festivals.
Chubritza plays the first Friday of each month at the Humboldt Folk Dancers' First Friday Dance Parties as well as at venues in Arcata such as Café Mokka at 5th and J and Mosgo's.

The band also performs concerts and festivals in Humboldt County including the Fortuna Concert Series, Havurah Shir Hadash's annual Chanukkah Celebration, St. Innocent's Orthodox Church's Taste of Orthodoxy and the biennial Arcata International Folk Dance Festival.

Chubritza had a wonderful time as the house band for the Stockton Folk Dance Camp in 2003, 2005 and 2009. The band has also played for Kolo Festival in San Francisco, Mendocino Folklore Camp, Sacramento International Folk Dance Camellia Festival, and the California Folk Dance Federation's Statewide Festivals and the Veselo Festival in Eugene, Oregon.

Chubritza is very excited to have been invited to play a 10-day tour of folk dance events and concerts in Israel in June of 2010 sponsored by the Balkanitsa Haifa Balkan Dance Group on their 25th anniversary jubilee and supported also by the dance groups of Dunav and Nua-Am.
Randy Carrico - clarinet, soprano sax, cornet, truba, tambura, kaval, violin, prim, brač, bugarija, guitar, vocals

Janet Finney-Krull - flute, pennywhistle, recorder, frula, accordion, dumbek, tupan, snare, vocals

Rick Kruse - bass, violin, gŭdulka, mandolin, banjo, vocals

Craig Kurumada - gajda, clarinet, prim, brač, accordion, tambura, spoons, snare drum, tŭpan, violin, vocals

Linnea Mandell - accordion, tambura, bugarija, tŭpan, recorder, dumbek, snare, vocals

Kroy Rubin - dumbek, guitar, tambura, brač, čelo, recorder, penny whistle, tŭpan, violin, vocals
Chubritza performs traditional dance music and songs from both urban and village traditions from Albania, Armenia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, England, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Macedonia, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, U.S.A. and the Jewish/Klezmer and Romany peoples. These songs reflect many universal themes: the passion of being in love, the sorrow of lost love, and the happiness music and dance brings to the heart.
Chubritza plays a wide variety of traditional instruments used in folk music throughout Eastern Europe and other parts of the world. In addition to the accordion, clarinet, saxophone, flute, cornet, violin, bass and guitar, some of the instruments which may be less familiar to audiences include:
  • Frula - a Balkan fipple flute
  • Gajda - a Balkan goatskin bagpipe
  • Dumbek - an hourglass shaped hand drum
  • Kaval - a Bulgarian end-blown flute
  • Tamburitza - a family of stringed instruments from Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia including the prim, brač, bugarija, čello, and berde.
  • Tambura - a long-necked stringed instrument from Bulgaria and Macedonia
  • Tupan - a two-headed Balkan drum played with a heavy beater and a light stick