KITKA: Nakūko, Dzacuzīte & Dva Šopski Dueta (Live)
Kitka’s Daily Wintersongs Offering for December 28, 2020
NAKŪKO, DZAGUZĪTE (Cuckoo, don’t sing…)
Vilna region, Latvia, from the repertoire of Saucējas
This rotāšana (spring calling song) utilizes a style of vocalization called vilkshun (forward-pulling), a crescendo typical of traditional Baltic pagan singing styles.
“‘Cuckoo, don’t sing in a blossoming apple tree. If you have no other tree, call from the tip of a reed. Call alone in a silver oak tree. Why did you leave green copper at the edge of the Daugava River?’ My sisters, you do not know what kind of trees grow on the other side of the river—birch and alder—where the nightingale sings.”
DVA ŠOPSKI DUETA
Šop region, Bulgaria, arranged by Stefan Mutafčiev, from Tzvetanka Varimezova
This piece is a compilation and embellished arrangement of fragments of several traditional diaphonic folk songs from western Bulgaria. Basil holds fascinating symbolic meaning in Bulgarian folklore, and it is used to adorn churches and infuse holy water during many sacred rites. It was believed that the Virgin Mary sniffed a sprig of basil just before she conceived the Son of God.
“Three stars shone the earliest. Oh, brother banner bearer, white basil, I plant you in the dewy garden. Dona fell sick in the meadow. Not in the village or close to it. A maiden digs a ditch by herself, and draws water from it. Hey, maiden, hey, to water the garden, to harvest basil. And now a young gray horse is running through the meadow, dragging his bridle through the grass. Oh, my dear!”
Performed by Kitka Women’s Vocal Ensemble
Kelly Atkins, Shira Cion, Erin Lashnits Herman, Janet Kutulas, Hannah Levy, Maclovia Quintana, Katya Schoenberg, and Lily Storm
Recorded live in December, 2019 at Old First Concerts, San Francisco
Audio and video recording by Christopher Burt
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