Newspapers / The Front Page (Raleigh, … / Jan. 13, 1995, edition 1 / Page 7
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By Jaye Kreller Amazingly enough, as conditions, circum stances, and abilities change throughout history and across cultural boundaries, the basic package of human emotions remains a relative constant. Stress, sorrow, hope, and joy are no different today than centuries ago, and no different in Russia than here, although the causes of the emotions may bear little resemblance. It is for this very reason that a small chorus of women’s voices singing tra ditional folk songs of other cultures and other gen erations consistently leaves audiences speechless and at times in tears. The Oakland-based ensemble Kitka brings together women of various backgrounds with a shared passion for the music of these cultures and a heartfelt enthusiasm for the timeless stories they tell. Folk songs and choral works from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Hungary and Bulgaria are brought forth and often explained to audiences, enhancing understanding and appreciation, both of the cultures and the music. Recently I talked with Bon Brown, die director of Kitka and an out lesbian, to gain some insight into the group and their music, and why it seems to have such profound effects on concert-goers. It seems that learning about Kitka was something of a cultural education in itself and I thought that folks contemplating attending their upcoming con cert might also be interested in the discoveries. JK: Are you or other chorus members full-time performers? _ BB: No. Actually all of the members except myself are employed full-time outside of the cho rus. Acting as director serves as a part-time job for me, but I also maintain a second part-time job. We’re all very excited about a new soloist who will be joining the ensemble next season. Her name is Tatiana Sabinska. She’s currently teaching at the Boston Conser vatory and is a veteran of the State Ensemble in Bulgaria where she was a featured soloist Now, not all of our members have this type of background and most make livings outside of music, but it is a very exciting time for us. We’re also working on a role in the upcoming show Hecuba starring Olympia Dukakis, with music by David Lange—so we do seem to be putting more and more time into performing. We also do about 25-30 concerts annually. JK: Describe what, you see as the “mis sion” of Kitka. Or is there a mission at all? BB: People want to herd us into a folk-lorist category. My goal is to move the audience, not educate them. I want to give them an experience, not just entertainment, maybe bring them closer to themselves or the per son they came with. Sure, we do give a certain amount of informa tion during the concert but it’s also more than aes thetic. Singing in nine different languages, of course the music is the focus, but we do provide translations and meanings of the songs. My favorite compliment after a show was when Upcoming Events Saturday 14JAN95, 7:00pm Diversity Dinner Bring a non-meat dish which reflects your ethnic/cultural background. You are also encouraged to wear clothing which reflects your heritage. Sunday 15JAN95,7:15pm Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Rev Irene Travis of Cathedral of Hope MCC in Dallas, TX will be the featured speaker for this year’s MLK event. w. via Wanda Y. Floyd-Assoc. Pastor 805 Glenwood Avenui Raleigh, North Care 919-83&2 SUNDAY SCHEDUL 11:00am WORSHIP' , Child Care Providedjjt 2:00pm Sign language class j 5:30pm PM Praise Choir Practice 7:15pm WORSHIP 'PM Praise' For more information on these and other meetings and events at St. John’s MCC. call 834-2611. ] someone came up to me and said, Bon, i...un, um...whew!” Then I knew we had the right impact JK: What subject matter are most often dealt with within the songs? BB: Some songs are so abstract they really don’t translate well, many songs are playful love songs, some are traditional ballads about war heroes. Sadness comes up, in one song in particu lar. A bride is being married off into a family and is moving away to be with a groom she’s never met, so it’s a sad song surrounding what we cus tomarily view as a happy occasion. Many of the songs are full of symbolism, but the topics are quite varied. JK: Where was the research done on the songs and their meanings? BB: Various methods were used, actually. If songs aren’t clear, we use contacts, sources, usual ly natives of the countries the songs are from. Indi viduals come in from time to time and translate for us and give us the cultural background. JK: What message, meaning or feeling does Kitka try to impart to listeners? BB: We try to promote a message of tolerance, understanding, and peace. Having people say, “I don’t understand the words, but we seem to share the same emotions like sadness or joy,” or “I don’t understand the words, but beauty and pain seem universal to us all.” It’s great when someone leaves with that message. JK: Do you see Kitka’s appeal as universal or does it lend itself more to a women’s audience? BB: Absolutely a universal appeal. I love bring ing this music to audiences and watching the reac tions and reception. I mean, younger, older, male, female, diverse ethnic backgrounds, all just seem to come into the music. It’s beautiful material, absolutely universal in its appeal. I think the audi ence can see how much we love and enjoy each other, and the passion we have for die music really comes cross. Kitka will be performing as part of the North Carolina State University Center Stage series at 8 p.m., January '27, at Stewart Theater in Raleigh. General admission is $13, reserved seating is $17. Call (919) 515-1100 (voice/TDD) for tickets, or (919) 515-3927 for more information. Kitka’s recordings Kitka and Voices on the Eastern Wind are also available through Ladyslipper Music; call (919)683-1570. ;t»W
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