Nasta Niakrasava (Belarus)

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(26.07.2011, 9:00 PM, Rotunda)

 

Nasta Niakrasava is a Belarussian vocalist, coming from Polesie. For years she has been working in the music of Belarussian Polesie, going on field researches in Belarus and Polish Podlasie. One of the first young artists, who went „a capella” on the professional stage with traditional Belarussian songs. She initiated student team of reconstruction of Belarussian folk songs and dances „Kviecień” at the University in Minsk. Participant of many international festivals, a laureate of many prestigious awards, for example: Grand Prix and Czesław Niemen Award at the 12th Polish Radio Festival 'New Tradition' 2009. In July, 2011 the album „Vir” of the band FolkRoll & Nasta Niakrasava was released by Polish Radio.

At the concert Nasta will perform calendar and lyrical songs, presenting full spectrum of Belarussian women „a capella” singing, which has been in the past and still is the most important tool for transmission of folk traditions.

 

WORKSHOPS of Belarussian songs:

26.07.2011, 9:45 PM, Rotunda

 

Vocal traditional culture is still alive in Belarus. That is the reason why many scholars go to Belarus for field research. It is not a secret that specific region in terms of traditional repertoire preservation is Polesie, where the vocalist comes from. Being part of this culture through the entire childhood, Nasta moves this source knowledge to the ground of professional music. She delicately mix folk singing with the base of various music styles, but still the primary idea is the faithful recreation of songs in accordance with the traditions of the ancestors. Searching for new sounds and new inspirations in traditional music guides us towards itself, because it is the source of our identity. Conscious attitude to performing folk songs is connected not only with understanding semantic meanings carried by them, but also with personal work on singing techniques – it allows traditional culture to be preserved from oblivion. On the workshops we will learn how to sing ritual songs in traditional vocal techniques.