Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Presents Kitka

The women in Kitka are fearless sonic explorers, and you can hear their intrepid spirit in every haunting song. Over nearly four decades the nine-women Oakland ensemble has developed a vast, breathtaking repertoire of traditional songs from the Balkans, Caucasus and Slavic lands, as well as new material composed for the group drawing on those traditional vocal practices. Traveling to rural communities in Armenia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Georgia, Poland, Macedonia and Turkey they've gathered songs and communed with elders who are often the last links to centuries-old traditions. The ravishing textures of the women's voices, unearthly cadences, angular rhythms and unfamiliar languages make Kitka's performances an enthralling experience. Kitka has forged deep ties with traditional and contemporary artists from Ukraine, and the group presents a special selection of songs as an expression of solidarity with the people of this besieged nation.