Artist Category: International

The ReMemberers

THE FIREBIRD – created by – The ReMemberers

The ReMemberers are a multidisciplinary trio weaving ritual storytelling, global song, and multi-instrumental virtuosity into a prismatic experience that feels part theater, part concert, part ceremony. Violet Southard’s numinous voice, Alex Harvey’s resonant strings, and John DeKadt’s percussive tale-telling create an atmosphere where ancient myths breathe again—told, sung, and drummed into presence.

Each gathering begins with an inherited wisdom tale and unfolds as a journey inward. Musical traditions from across the planet converge in this awakening of ancient folklore. The ReMemberers, in partnership with their audience, rekindle one of humanity’s oldest customs: coming together to listen, imagine, and be transformed.

This year the ensemble tours its new presentation of the legendary Russian folktale THE FIREBIRD.

In The Firebird, a poor huntsman is crushed between survival and conscience inside a totalitarian kingdom ruled by a maniacal king—the ego made sovereign. An unlikely hero, the huntsman is fumbling, fearful, adaptive, and deeply human as we watch him fall into deeper complicity with the tyrannical regime. Gradually the tale reveals itself as a thorny initiation for a man seeking his own soul. What is ultimately asked of the huntsman (and of us all) is not courage, but surrender; not triumph, but the willingness to be undone.

Alex Harvey

Filmmaker, musician, and folklorist Alex Harvey creates mythic performance works that blend storytelling, global music, and theatre. His films include Walden: Life in the Woods starring Demián Bichir and space//space. A multi-instrumentalist and composer, he performs internationally with immersive storytelling ensemble The ReMemberers.

Violet Southard

Singer, songwriter, and voice ceremonialist Violet Southard channels haunting vocal traditions drawn from nature, ancestral song, and her Mohawk lineage. Her work explores sound as a pathway to reflection and transformation. Alongside performing internationally with The ReMemberers, she facilitates sound-based healing practices for individuals and groups.

John de Kadt

Percussionist, poet, and storyteller John de Kadt blends world percussion, spoken word, and mythic storytelling into immersive performance. His five albums have over 130 million streams worldwide. Founder of BlessFest and former member of The Hanumen, he has shared DrumStory performances internationally for more than twenty-five years.

Kongero

Kongero is: Anna Wikénius, Sofia Hultqvist Kott, Lotta Andersson, and Emma Björling

Kongero is a highly esteemed, world touring Swedish Folk’appella group singing powerful, evocative, haunting music. A concert with Kongero will take the listener on a fabulous journey, an all-embracing Scandinavian folk music experience. Amazing vocal polyphony, groovy, and powerful. We released our 6th album “Live in Longueuil” in the summer 2021 and it’s been so well-received!

We push the boundaries in trad/folk/world music as well as in a cappella and chamber music. We feel it’s important to share this passion with others. By conducting our workshops and master classes we make great music and long-lasting connections with singers wherever we go. To share is to gain something new, and by sharing our tradition, knowledge, and passion we get lots of positive energy, love, and powerful musical experiences.

This journey has, since 2005, resulted in extensive touring all over Europe, Canada, Barbados, and Singapore. We have done official showcases at Folk Alliance International, Nordic Folk Alliance, Nordic Showcase, Bourse Rideau, and we are an official participant of Global Music Match 2022.

Alejandro Brittes Quartet

Chamamé – just like tango – has been declared as Intangible Cultural Heritage of
Humanity by UNESCO. Argentine accordionist, composer and researcher Alejandro
Brittes, who will tour in the U.S. this September and October, has been declared one
of the foremost contemporary chamamé ambassadors and innovators.

Born of the centuries-long interaction between ritual practices of indigenous Guaraní
and the Baroque music influences brought by Jesuits in the Mission period (16th to 18th
Centuries), chamamé can be conceived of as a ritual that seeks to communicate with
the Earth and the Universe and maintain harmony among humans, through music and
dance that lead participants to moments of trance. Often this ecstasy is viscerally
expressed by participants through a sapucay, a piercing, spontaneous ancestral yell to
release strong emotions pent up inside.

In Buenos Aires, chamamé was discriminated against and criminalized for decades
(much like other popular music such as tango). Alejandro Brittes ́s parents migrated
from the interior of the Province of Corrientes to Buenos Aires, where his father was a
pioneering chamamé event organizer and his mother a chamamé radio host, both
attending to the cultural needs of the rural migrant community in the city. It was in this
environment that Brittes was born and raised, amongst the most-respected chamamé
musicians and ensembles, beginning his professional career at 15 years old.
Chamamé has also been described as a “danced prayer”. Performed in 6/8 time, a
meter that is widely used in diverse human societies to enter into trance and
communication with the Universe, the musical elements of chamamé reflect its ritual
origins and spiritual values of its originators, forged in the context of the Missions,
crucibles of effervescent intercultural musical activity.

The chamamé guitar maintains a percussive mantra that is reminiscent of Guaraní
ritual music, and the accordion – with its expressive power – employs its low left-hand
to connect with the Earth and the human realm, and its piercing right-hand melody to
reach up to the Universe and the Divine. Embraced dancing couples circle around the
outdoor spaces where chamamé is traditionally performed, at times breaking into
percussive footwork to accompany the music. The accordion evokes the bellowed
Baroque organs constructed by skilled Guaraní artisans in the Mission period, a period
that was violently cut short by the imperial aspirations of Spain and Portugal in the late 18th Century.
Brittes ́s latest artistic work is focused on exploring, evoking, and innovating upon the
ancestral heritage of chamamé, which has survived great challenges throughout history
to flourish today. Interpreting historical repertoire created in the Missions, and original
compositions, Brittes collaborates with a Baroque orchestra on his project “(L)Este”,
and also performs chamamé classics and original material with his Quartet. Based in
Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, the Quartet is composed of: Alejandro Brittes
(accordion), André Ely (7-stringed guitar), Charlise Bandeira (flute), and Carlos de
Césaro (contrabass).

For 2023 U.S. touring, Alejandro Brittes Quartet is supported by Iber Exchange, a
program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts in
collaboration with Ibermúsicas. In September and October of 2023 the Quartet will be
featured at prestigious U.S. venues and institutions such as: Library of Congress (DC),
The Trust Performing Arts Center (PA), Georgetown University (DC), Queens Theatre
(NYC), Creative Alliance (MD), Levitt Pavilion (CT), among others.

Sophie et Adam

Cambridge-based Sophie et Adam share folk tunes from England, the US, Romania, Argentina, Yiddish songs, French Chansons, and originals by Adam Simon. This concert will focus on music from France, highlighting songs made famous by the famous Edith Piaf. They are thrilled to be joined by the acclaimed Michael McLaughlin at the accordion.

For a sneak peek of the show, check out their version of Edith Piaf’s song “La Foule” HERE.

Sophie Michaux was born in London and raised in the French Alps. Although she focuses on classical music, her versatility and musical curiosity have brought her to be an active performer in many repertoires including French Cabaret songs, English Sea Shanties, as well as a variety of world polyphonies: in 2014 and 2017, she toured the U.S and Europe with Northern Harmony. She was one of the lead singers in the 2018 Cambridge Christmas Revels, alongside VH leaders Gideon Crevoshay and Lysander Jaffe: Venetian Celebration. She is the founding member of Sophie et Adam, a folk music duet, and of Culomba, a world music ensemble.

Adam Jacob Simon is a composer, baritone and guitarist active in the Boston area. He is an avid folk music singer as well, performing frequently with VT based vocal ensemble Northern Harmony, traveling throughout Europe, South Africa and the U.S. As a baritone soloist, he has been praised as singing with “wonderful romantic lyricism” and “reassuring warmth” – Rutland (VT) Herald. As co-founder of the folk music duo “Sophie et Adam” alongside French mezzo-soprano Sophie Michaux, he frequently performs a varied repertoire of French, American, and Yiddish folk music.

Michael McLaughlin performs throughout the U.S. and Europe playing the music of klezmer, Americana, and jazz. His works have been used for film, stage and public radio, and his compositions have garnished a number of awards including a Mass Cultural Council Artist Grant in 2001. His recordings can be found on the Accurate, Tzadik, Elipsis Arts, Knitting Factory Records, Rykodisc, and Innova labels.

Manège à Trois

Paris meets New-Orleans!

Francophile trio Manège à Trois trio is back to Celebrate French Month with the Parisian sounds of Musette and Chanson. Lead by ex-pat fingerstyle guitarist Bertrand Laurence, the trio integrates the with French roots, American influences of Jazz Blues and Swing.

This Gumbo Maison (the CD’s title) will include Jazz standards in French, French Blues in English, and a variety of French songs influenced by the American Pop, country & Jazz & Folk.

Served with accordion, clarinet, guitar and vocals, this sparkling menu will celebrate not just French culture, but the merging of influences that will pair New Orleans, Paris, and Cambridge in seductive modern fusion cuisine.

Bertrand Laurence: Guitar, Vocals
Suzy Lee: Accordion
Mark Chenevert : Clarinet

Windborne

Windborne’s captivating show draws on the singers’ deep roots in traditions of vocal harmony, while the absolute uniqueness of their artistic approach brings old songs into the present. Known for the innovation of their arrangements, their harmonies are bold and anything but predictable. Instead of simply dazzling the audience with vocal fireworks; Windborne evokes a deep emotional response connecting their audience to the past, distant places and themselves, it’s no wonder they have been crowd favorites since starting to tour in 2018. Windborne is particularly known for our viral videos which have gained the group nearly 500,000 followers singing at Mont Saint Michel in France, and Cathedrals around the world!

With a 20-year background studying polyphonic music around the world, Lauren Breunig, Jeremy Carter-Gordon, Lynn Rowan, and Will Rowan share a vibrant energy onstage with a blending of voices that can only come from decades of friendship alongside dedicated practice. The ensemble shifts effortlessly between drastically different styles of music, drawing their audience along on a journey that spans continents and centuries, illuminating and expanding on the profound power and variation of the human voice. BBC Traveling Folk describes Windborne as “subverting expectations and redefining the genre [of vocal music]… just absolutely phenomenal!”

Audiences and critics lavish praise upon the singers not only for their technical mastery, but for the passion, engagement, and connection with each other and the audience that imbues each performance with a rare power. But there’s another, crucial dimension to Windborne that guides and roots their artistry. They are adherents to folk music’s longtime alliance with social activism, labor and civil rights, and other movements that champion the oppressed, the poor, and the disenfranchised. Windborne’s dynamic harmonies breathe new life into old songs, creating an experience that is rooted by its history, but strikingly relevant to the contemporary listener.

Voci Angelica Trio

Voci Angelica Trio is an international band with members hailing from three continents. Listeners describe the music as “a haute folk sound that mesmerizes and enthralls,” where each note “sears itself into a goosebump on your arm.”

Straddling the genres of world folk and classical music, the trio creates an ambitious blend of cultures, reinvigorating traditional songs for contemporary audiences. Vocal harmonies elegantly intertwine with lush cello lines and percussion to create a musical fusion that transcends political and geographic borders.

The trio’s self-titled EP and second album, “Taking Flight: Live from Japan,” both invite listeners to journey through unfamiliar musical landscapes. As Voci continues to unearth musical gems, its musicians have become more attentive to the current situations in the diverse countries they explore. Live performances are a celebration of the group’s cultural wayfaring, showcasing the differences and similarities of our shared humanity. In 2017, the trio joined the roster of the Boston Celebrity Series Neighborhood Arts Program which presents free concerts for local communities. In 2013, the trio won an Iguana Music Fund grant from Club Passim to purchase a sound system for their school educational program with Young Audiences of Massachusetts. Voci Angelica’s mission has also led to the USA’s East Coast, Midwest and Southern regions; Canada; Japan; and South Korea.

Members:
Jodi Hitzhusen, voice/percussion
Meena Malik, voice/percussion
Aristides Rivas, cello

Esthema

Their beautifully produced third album Long Goodbye is a relentlessly classy and high-minded affair but with a knowing rock vibe writes Grant Moon of PROG Magazine about Esthemaąs latest release. An acoustic instrumental progressive music ensemble hailing from Boston, MA (USA), Esthema has been creating their unique sound since 2006 by fusing progressive rock and jazz fusion with the sounds of the traditional music of the Balkan region and the Near & Middle East. The musicians that shape the sound of Esthema bring together both western and eastern influences, instruments, and concepts creating a musical tapestry that transcends musical genres and cultures.

With three critically acclaimed releases to date, Apart From The Rest (2007), the Hereness and Nowness of Things (2009) and Long Goodbye (2014), Esthema is currently in the studio working on their next release, Esthema Śią scheduled for release in the fall 2018.

Esthema is:
Andy Milas (guitar)
Onur Dilisen (violin)
Mac Ritchey (oud, bouzouki, electric oud)
Tom Martin (bass)
George Lernis (drums, percussion)

Bolahenk Trio

Classical, Folk and Dance Music From Where the Sun Rises. Anatolia, derives from the Greek word anatolḗ, which means ‘where the sun rises’. Bolahenk Trio will be presenting classical, folk and dance music from Anatolia, modern day Turkey.

CEREN TÜRKMENOĞLU

Raised in the Western classical music tradition, Ceren Türkmenoğlu is a violinist who is always aiming to engage other genres of music as much as possible in her repertoire and expand her musical language with the music of other traditions, especially her own, Turkish Classical Music. She has been a member of Ankara State Opera and Ballet Orchestra and Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra in Turkey and since January 2017 she enjoys continuing her performances in Boston as a recitalist, chamber and orchestra musician both in classical music and Turkish traditional music.

VOLKAN EFE

Efe performed with various Turkish Music Ensembles in Washington, DC and Chicago before moving to Boston. He performs with Orkestra Marhaba and he is also a member of Cambridge Musiki Cemiyeti, where he studies various forms of Ottoman music as well as traditional instruments such as tanbur, kemençe and ney.

MICHAEL K. HARRIST

Performs and works with artists in a wide array of world traditions including Turkish art music, Hindustani music, Jazz, Western art music and American roots music. He has performed throughout North America, Europe and Turkey with various ensembles including Ameranouche, Cesni Trio, Ross Daly and Kelly Thoma, Sol & Kiel, Capillary Action and the Labyrinth Modal Music Orchestra. Michael teaches workshops and private lessons in world music traditions (primarily Turkish makam and Hindustani raga), monophonic and polyphonic composition and instrumental practice and performance.

Wheezer & Squeezer

Jeremiah McLane and Timothy Cummings are a high-powered, one-of-a-kind, Vermont-based duo who share music rooted in the traditional dance repertoire of Northwestern Europe. Masters of the piano accordion and quieter, bellows-blown bagpipes, they create a beguiling, and at times orchestral, blend which utterly subverts the common stereotypes of their Old World instruments. McLane and Cummings —affectionately nicknamed “Wheezer & Squeezer”— most often draw from an ‘Auld Alliance’ repertoire that includes bourrées from central France, the hanter dro from Brittany, triple-time hornpipes from the Scottish Border region, and compelling originals reflecting these influences.

In 2017 Alex Kehler joined them as a guest collaborator, adding a plethora of strings to this reedy duo. Hailing from the Eastern Townships of Québec, Alex deepens the French connection to their ‘Auld Alliance’, as well as introducing Scandinavian flare with fiddle, Swedish nyckelharpa, and låtmandola. His addition prompted Wheezer & Squeezer to coin a nickname for him: Plink!

As a trio, their performances are unified by their zeal and musical craftsmanship, and punctuated with brief commentary on the music and their instruments. Whatever you call them, this rare, captivating trio inspires both feet and spirits to dance, and is simply not to be missed.