Wędrowiec (Poland)

 

Wędrowiec artistic quest is an attempt to settle in contemporary sensitivity in the old ritual music of the villages of central Poland (mainly Mazovia and the Lublin region), recorded by Oskar Kolberg or recorded in archival recordings, including Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences and its own. As it is music that no longer exists in its natural context, members of the group reach it with the help of the imagination shaped by contemporary music ("minimal music"), theatrical experiences and meetings with still living musicians or singers of the older generation, from whom they learn raw styles of folk performance (for example singing with the so-called "white voice" or violin playing technique).

 

The concert program includes music accompanying the ordinary inhabitants of the village from the cradle to the grave, with particular emphasis on the wedding rite, music rich in content and emotions that are still valid today. Also with the way of presentation the Wędrowiec group refers to old rituals, not literally, as it is in the case of folklore groups, but through the form, which is more a sound spectacle than a concert. The members of the group have been playing together for two years previously being involved in music projects such as Księżyc, Bractwo Ubogich, ensemble Dom Tańca, Pies Szczeka. They toured a lot in Poland, as well as in Spain and France. They conducted individual and joint research, artistic, educational and animation projects (House of Dance, series of documentaries "Centrum czy pogranicze" ["Center or borderland"]). As Wędrowiec, they debuted in the fall of last year, in April 2004 they won the first place during the "New Tradition" Folk Festival organized by Polish Radio.

 

Band members:

Agata Harz – vocals, basolia, "water ships"

Emilia Okołotowicz - vocals, baraban, little drum, "water ships"

Remigiusz Mazur-Hanaj - hurdy-gurdy, violin

Bartosz Niedźwiecki - violin, bagpipes, mazanki

 

Workshops: July 30, 2004, 6:00 PM, Alchemia

Concert: July 30, 2004, 10:00 PM, Alchemia