MUSIC : Blend Bulgarian Tunes, a Psychedelic Frog, and It’s Zhaba

Psychedelic frog?

“You’ve got to start somewhere,” said Jhos J. Ceapach Choinn. Somewhere for Choinn is in Bulgaria, where zhaba means “frog” and sharena means “multicolored.”

“You know those crazy South American tree frogs?” posed the Berkeley-based director of the group Zhaba, which performs Wednesday at the Long Beach Museum of Art. “I love the way they look, and they’re a great metaphor for us.

“Think ‘Balkan,’ and you think ‘green frog,’ if you’re in the know,” Choinn said. “We start with Bulgarian music, throw in purple sides, large orange eyes, peach-colored toes and a vibrant green backside. It’s multicolored and ridiculous. Or at least multicolored.”

According to Choinn, Zhaba (whose recording is “Zhaba Sharena”) blends psychedelic folk music of urban North America with the traditional folk music of Bulgarian villages and percussion traditions of the Middle East.

A recent personnel change added medieval influences: Violinist Shira Kammen brings to the ensemble long experience with early music groups.

She joins bassist Steve Horowitz, whose background is in avant-garde improvisational jazz; and two players with backgrounds in Celtic music, Danny Carnahan on electric guitar and mandocello (“that’s a big ol’ mandolin,” said Choinn) and Robin Petrie on hammer dulcimer.

Eastern European specialist Bon Brown provides vocals. According to Choinn, songs are sung in Bulgarian, Hungarian or “ made-up-atarian-- [Brown] comes up with her own languages from time to time.”

Choinn’s own background is in classical music; she has a degree in percussion from UCLA.

“The classical composition process makes you stretch, try new things--bow the cymbals, for instance,” Choinn said. “I had that attitude built in when I encountered folk music. I respect people who play folk music traditionally, but my nature is to tamper with it.

“Rock ‘n’ roll functions in our culture the same way as folk tunes do in Bulgaria. The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Motown . . . those are my folk music.”

Zhaba’s performance comes midway in the museum’s summer concert series.

Remaining programs:

* Aug. 2: bluesman Doug Macleod.

* Aug. 9: The Blazers with Candye Kane and the Swingin’ Armadillos playing blues, rock, jazz, norteno music, cumbias and country.

* Aug. 16: Seigneur Tabu Ley Rochereau and Orchestre Afrisa International featuring ballads, frenzied dance rhythms and an elaborate stage show.

* Aug. 23: Rosie Flores and Katy Moffatt singing country rock, Western swing, Texas conjunto , honky-tonk ballads and blues.

* Who: Zhaba.

* When: Wednesday, 7 to 9 p.m.

* Where: Long Beach Museum of Art’s Sculpture Garden, 2300 Ocean Blvd., Long Beach.

* Whereabouts: Take the San Diego (405) Freeway north to the 7th Street exit and head west. Turn left on Cherry Avenue and left again on Ocean Boulevard.

* Wherewithal: $8 to $11. (Most concerts sell out; reservations suggested.)

* Where to call: (310) 439-2119.