Kitka in concert with Mariana Sadovska: Songs and Stories from Ukraine October 28, 2007

The nine powerful women's voices of Kitka join forces with Mariana Sadovska to share songs and stories gathered on field expeditions in the Ukrainian countryside, and to preview new interpretations of songs created for the 2008 San Francisco revival of their acclaimed collaborative vocal theater work, The Rusalka Cycle.

Kitka has earned an international reputation for bringing a contemporary perspective to the sumptuous harmonies, stunning dissonances, asymmetric rhythms, and resonant strength of traditional Eastern European women's vocal music. Through performances, recordings, educational programs, and adventuresome collaborations, Kitka has exposed millions to the haunting beauty of their unique repertoire. Kitka has been featured on National Public Radio and Television including special appearances on A Prairie Home Companion, and All Things Considered. The emotive impact of Kitka's singing has been showcased in a number of film soundtracks, including Jacob's Ladder, Braveheart, and Queen of the Damned, as well as in ACT's highly-praised productions of Hecuba, with Olympia Dukakis.

Mariana Sadovska breathes vigorous new life into the fast-fading folk traditions of her native Ukraine. Having spent more than 15 years collecting archaic songs and rituals in rural villages, she has become one of Europe's most sought-after vocal artists. Her performances combine the elemental power of folk song with avant-garde extended vocal techniques and physical theater. Sadovska is renowned for her work with the Polish experimental/anthropological theater company Gardzienice, with whom she was a principal performer and music director for over a decade. The NY Times writes: "Sometimes a musician has such an inborn desire to communicate that her message naturally becomes universal. The responsibilities, protocol, and tradition of whatever style she is working in just vanish; she replaces them with pure vitality. Such was the case with the Ukrainian singer Mariana Sadovska."

$22 (advance) / $25 (door) / $20 (seniors & students w/ ID).

Official Website: http://www.kitka.org