Orcas Center Hosts Performers of Traditional Music and Dance from Republic of Georgia

Zedashe Ensemble bring music and dance from the Republic of Georgia to Orcas Center this Sunday

Orcas Center, in association with Orcas A Cappella, will present the Zedashe Ensemble from the Republic of Georgia for a concert of traditional Georgian music, both secular and religious, on Sunday, October 3 at 7:30 pm. Returning for their third US tour, Zedashe Ensemble will perform a captivating evening of song and dance in eight states across the country to commemorate the upcoming 20th anniversary of Georgian independence.

Zedashe performs the ancient, haunting three-part harmony unique to the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia. While touring both internationally and domestically, Zedashe has maintained an intimate and familial presentation of Georgian polyphony (multi-tonal harmony where the separate voices sing a different melody).

Accompanied by traditional Georgian instruments and two virtuosic dancers, the ten-person ensemble promises to transport you from the crags of the Caucasus Mountains in Svaneti to the shores of the Black Sea in Adjara to the vineyards of Kakheti. Their songs reflect a range of rituals, from grape harvesting to the teaching of martial arts, to hymns from the Georgian Orthodox service. In addition to the collection and preservation of songs, Zedashe is also dedicated to documenting the context in which the songs were traditionally sung and maintaining the threads which bound song and dance to every-day life.

Zedashe’s tour is organized by Village Harmony, a world music umbrella organization, and it  is sponsored by a generous grant from the Trust for Mutual Understanding which promotes cultural exchange between the US and Eastern European artists. Visit the Village Harmony and Zedashe websites  for updated information on the tour www.villageharmony.org or www.zedashe.org.

Tickets to the performance with Zedashe Ensemble on Sunday, October 3 at 7:30 pm are $25, $17 for Orcas Center members and $11 for students. Fifteen minutes before show time, all remaining tickets will be sold for $10. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.orcascenter.org or call or 360/376-2281 ext 1 or visit Orcas Center during box office hours, Thursday-Saturday, noon – 4 pm.