Video by Merry Waterson
Get all 13 Kitka Women's Vocal Ensemble releases available on Bandcamp and save 20%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Kolo, Geshem Geshem (Rain Rain) Quarantine Edition, Evening Star, I will remember everything: a lyric biography of Sophia Parnok, Cradle Songs, Sanctuary: A Cathedral Concert ~ Kitka and Tzvetanka Varimezova, The Rusalka Cycle: Songs Between the Worlds, Wintersongs, and 5 more.
1. |
Loomine (Estonia)
04:59
|
|||
|
"A beautiful bluebird flew into our meadow, and made a nest in a paddock. There were threebushes in the meadow: one was a blue bush, one was a red bush, the third was a golden bush. She did not care about the blue bush nor the red bush, but she was pleased with the golden bush. The bird started to build a nest there: she worked on it for a month, for a second month, for a third month, for a week in the fourth month, for a bit more in the fifth month. She started to lay eggs: she laid for a month, for second month, for a third month, for a week in the fourth month, and a bit more in the fifth month. One chick became the moon for Kurland, the second became the sun for Parnu County, the third became the world, the fourth became the stars, and the fifth became the rainbow."
|
||||
2. |
Līgo (Latvia)
04:20
|
|||
|
"Līgo, mother goddess of darkness, mother of foggy mist, the thundering reeds and whispering flowers tempt me into the water. Lightly I walked over the water like a fleet-winged bird. I knew the golden reed would be on the other side. I reached my destination and found my golden reed to be broken. The lakeside was scattered with many girls' wreaths. Mother of darkness, mother of mist, raise your woolen cape so that my dear Mara can see well enough to heal my reed."
|
||||
3. |
Oj ty misjacju (Ukraine)
03:31
|
|||
|
"Oh, you are a bright moon, and I, a shining star. Oh, you are a young Cossack, and I am a beautiful girl. In the cherry orchard, I took your horse to pasture. He grazed and grazed until midnight, and dew fell upon my dark eyes. Not only on my eyes, but on my reddish-blonde braid. My Cossack sweetheart, I can no longer wear a vinok (a wreath of flowers, symbolizing feminine purity)."
|
||||
4. |
Ruotā, ruotā (Latvia)
05:44
|
|||
|
Aiz Daugavas melni meii, ruoti
SeIonia, Latvia, from Elīna Ellere of Saucējas
"Behind the Daugava River are black forests with yellow flowers. Bring me over there, brothers, so I can weave head wreaths. In the shrubbery, here on the border of the field, white flowers grow. Crowds of strangers passed through looking for these blooms. Who would recognize summertime if the flowers didn't blossom? Who would recognize my youth if I didn't live cheerfully?"
Ganinš gana celmalāi
Lielvārde, Latvia, from Elina Ellere of Saucējas
"A little shepherd is herding by the road wanting help from the Nature God. 'God help the little shepherd and me, the traveler, as well! Thick grew the oak tree. Who can count its leaves? The one who can count the leaves can propose to me."'
|
||||
5. |
Lazarki (Bulgaria)
04:04
|
|||
|
“Hey, I drove my horse to water, and he drank his fill. / The sun shimmered as it set. / Dona picked herbs. / Hey, a young couple, Mitro and Tiza, stood by the wall. Mitro said to Tiza, ‘Come to me,’ and they agreed to run away together. / Stana ran away through nine green forests, and she found cold water. / Little doll-like girls dance along silver streets. One wasn’t there, because her mother was braiding her hair in fine rows. / Hey, a falcon drank water from the Vardar River.”
|
||||
6. |
Došč, došč (Ukraine)
03:37
|
|||
|
"Oh, in the yard, rain, rain. Not too heavy, not too light, as if through a sieve. Not as if through a sieve, but as if from a bucket. As if from a bucket, it beats down the dirt. You can't stay here forever, only for a little while. Early, early ... "
|
||||
7. |
||||
|
"I wander, always enchanted by your charms. I've searched far and wide, but could never find another Tbilisi. I've traveled long roads, much rain has fallen upon me, I've searched far and wide, but could never find another Mtats'minda (the "holy mountain" overlooking Tbilisi). No matter how heavily mists of sorrow have clouded my heart, you always give me sunshine and hope, my Tbilisi. To leave you for even just one day, I'll miss you. The sounds of your plane tree leaves are always rustling in my soul."
|
||||
8. |
||||
|
"Come, Holy Spirit, and send forth from heaven the radiance of your light."
|
||||
9. |
O Onda (Corsica)
09:12
|
|||
|
"Oh wave, when you arise from sunken, ancient, furious storms, you bear the weight of all history. Oh wave, your silence is deeper than a grave, white as the flashing of a sword. Oh wave, when you sing, it is a lament that bursts out like the echo of a gunshot. So many boats lost. So many lands to discover. So many harbors submerged. So may loves yet to be revealed. Oh wave, smooth, sleek, beautiful, pure ... "
VEDU RUSALKU (outro)
Ričice, Ukraine, from Mariana Sadovska
In Ukrainian folklore, rusalki are powerful, enticing, and sometimes dangerous female entities who inhabit the waters, forests, and fields. They are believed to be the restless spirits of women who have died untimely or unjust deaths. "I am leading the rusalka from the oak forest. Early, early, from the oak forest. I'll return home alone. Early, early, I'll return home."
|
||||
10. |
||||
|
"I have crossed nine mountains to look for you. In a jug, I've collected water, drop by drop. In the night, I will tell the moon our fairy tale, and during the day, I will sing ancient songs to the sun. Oh bride, come slowly into my house, the entrance is wide and high for you. Mother-in-law will be like a mother to you; father-in-law will be like a father to you. The earth is enough to be our bed to sleep in, and we will pull down the sky as our blanket. Softly the wind will sing us a lullaby, and the stars will burn like candles for our love."
|
||||
11. |
||||
|
"Lullaby, oh bat'onebi, naninana, oh lords, nano, amuse yourselves sweetly, oh bat'onebo. By Nanina, the mother of the bat'onebi, there stands a golden cradle. Within lies the bat'onebi's prince. From time to time someone rocks it. From time to time someone tells him: 'Lullaby, oh bat'onebi, naninana, amuse yourselves."
|
||||
12. |
||||
|
"Violet, nano, rose, nona, violet, noninao. You found a sweet home at your mother's breast. Go to sleep my darling, I'll change places with you, as the one who gave birth to you. What has put you to sleep so sweetly, so free of worry? Violet, nano, rose, nano, violet, naninao."
|
||||
13. |
||||
|
Volodar
Volyn, Ukraine, from Mark Marczyk and Marichka
"Gatekeeper, open the portals. Here comes the orphan man, along with all the small children!"
Oj, borovaja
Polissja region, Ukraine, arr. Kitka and Mariana Sadovska
"Oh, forest cuckoo, how early you appear in the garden!"
Rano, rano
Ričice, Ukraine, from Mariana Sadovska
"Early, I go up to the mountains. I clap my palms together so my palms tingle. My rings are like bells and the rusalki will hear them."
Provedu rusalki
Ričice, Ukraine, from Mariana Sadovska
“I lead the rusalka from the beautiful woods. I’ll return alone to my father’s courtyard. I lead the rusalka back to the abyss, and return alone to my mother’s house. Sleep, rusalka, in the earth, so that we young people can reap the harvest!”
Do boru rusalon’ky
Kyivan Polissja, Ukraine, from Inna Kovtun and Nadia Tarnawsky
“Go back to the deep pine forest, rusalki! Don’t let the people see you in their yard. Go back to the river, rusalki! Don’t let the people see you from their stoves.”
|
||||
14. |
||||
|
Collage of Balkan bee calls
From Stanojka Gogić of Sredska, Kosovo and Metohija; and Stana Bučić of Graševci village, Eastern Serbia; via Svetlana Spajić
"Queen bee, mother, queen! Fly low, mother-bee! Come to us, mother-bee! The wind is blowing. You've danced enough, mother-bee!
You've sung enough, mother-bee. Come to us, queen-bee! / Come into your house, bubo (queen bug), come into your house, dear one. Your house is beautiful and full of flowers. Come, gather your bees, darling, come, bubo."
Bite, dabiłėli, dabilio
Lithuania, arrangement by Kristine Barrett, from Daiva Račiūnaite-Vyčinienė, Trys Keturiosė and Zenonas Slaviūnas
Sutartinės (from the word sutarti - to be in concordance) is a form of interlocking women's ritual music. Many of these songs connect to bees and beekeeping, as Daiva Račiūnaite-Vyčinienė, writes: "Since ancient times, bees have served as an example of order, coexistence, diligence, and devotion to family and community. Just like singing polyphonic chants, beekeeping requires attentiveness on one hand and peace and total relaxation on the other. The same applies to the process of polyphonic singing. The value is not in the skill or the voice of a particular singer, but in the overall achievement of the entire group."
"Bee, little bee, buzz! I sowed seeds for you, across honeyed meadows. The little bee collects nectar from beautiful blossoms. Bee, little bee, buzz! Grandfather-land Karelia, buzz!"
|
||||
15. |
||||
|
"Oh, how it was before time began, when there was no sky and no earth, when there was only the blue sea. In the middle of the sea grew a green sycamore tree, and on that sycamore were three little doves. The three little doves were discussing how to create the world: 'Let us descend to the bottom of the sea, sister, and retrieve some yellow sand. It will become black fertile earth for us!' 'We will find a golden stone, and it will become a bright sunny sky for us!' 'Let us sow seeds all over the world, so that the sky and earth will be born ... the sky full of stars, and the earth covered with flowers.'"
|
||||
Kitka Women's Vocal Ensemble Oakland, California
Kitka is an American vocal arts ensemble inspired by the stunning dissonances, asymmetric rhythms, intricate ornamentation, and resonant strength of traditional Eastern European women’s vocal music. Kitka has earned international recognition for its distinctive sound as well as for its innovative explorations in new music for women’s voices. ... more
If you like Kitka Women's Vocal Ensemble, you may also like:
supported by 6 fans who also own “Kolo”
This album is a sonic adventure into possibilities with instruments that are beyond what I originally thought them capable of. Pure delight and mood.
go to album
featured on Bandcamp Radio Nov 14, 2017
go to album
featured on Bandcamp Radio Jan 26, 2026
go to album
Rough Sentience
by Slava Dyadyun and Meltdownlove
No musical stone is left unturned on this bracing collaborative EP that swings from chillwave to hyperpop, making all stops in between.
go to album
supported by 5 fans who also own “Kolo”
go to album