Armenian folk singer Hasmik Harutyunyan's grandmother, Mafo, and her brother, Yessai.

Kitka’s Current Projects:

Lullabies and
Songs of Childhood

Kitka is currently gathering, documenting and creatively re-interpreting traditional lullabies that have been passed on in the oral tradition by generations of Balkan, Slavic, Georgian and Armenian women. We are learning many breathtaking and tender melodies directly from native singers who heard them sung by their mothers and grandmothers. These songs will be shared through a new CD with a companion songbook, and a 2009 30th Anniversary Season national concert tour.

Research for this project has already connected us to generations of singing women in profound ways. The gorgeous traditional lullabies we learned recently from the legendary Armenian folk singer Hasmik Harutyunyan are still resounding in our hearts. Hasmik learned many of these songs from her grandmother, Mafo, pictured above.

Make an online gift to Kitka's LULLABIES FUND today

Look into Mafo’s eyes. You can feel her love, her pain, and her longing for a better life for her children and grandchildren. Now imagine her pouring all these deep feelings into a song.

In Hasmik’s words, “Every mother in the world wants the same thing for her children… to grow up healthy, happy, and secure. When a mother sings a lullaby, it is a sacred, magical act… like a meditation. She summons all the powers of creation to soothe, strengthen, and protect her baby. A lullaby connects the whole universe with the cradle. In the old country, mothers rarely had the opportunity to talk with anyone other than their children. A child understands and remembers everything. When they grow up, everything you’ve sung for them, wished for them, and given to them comes back in return…”

May nurturing love through music continue to sustain us all.

Yours in harmony,
The Women of Kitka

Donate now to Kitka’s Lullabies and Songs of Childhood Project and learn about special thank you gift’s Kitka is offering to those who contribute towards our NEA match by June 30. All gifts are tax deductable.