World Music Institute And National Sawdust to Present Tarta Relena This Month

Tarta Relena will make their NYC debut March 30, 2023 at National Sawdust.

Doors: 7 PM | Show: 8 PM

Tickets: $20 Advance | $25 Day of Show

80 North 6th Street, Brooklyn

Co-presented with National Sawdust

Needing little more than their voices and a uniquely contemporary take on ancient oral repertoires, the Catalan duo Marta Torrella and Helena Ros create a gorgeously harmonic and synchronistic sound while reinterpreting Mediterranean musical traditions by adding modern effects and subtle electronic pulses to the ancient traditions, giving them added relevance to a new world.

The duo was born in 2016, as a vehicle to explore the different styles and sounds of a cappella vocal music. The group's arrangements feature their two voices, with their different timbres linked and knotted, flowing like water or scratching like wind across the steppe; diverging in sharp dissonance and later reuniting.

Tarta Relena's 2021 album, Fiat Lux was inspired by historical characters, such as the Virgin Mary, Sappho of Lesbos and Hildegard of Bingen, and features timeless verses that deal with the cyclical nature of the human experience. Singing in Catalan, Spanish, Greek, Latin, English, and even Sephardic, the language of Hispanic Jews, Tarta Relena explore a complex array of Latin cultures through the simplicity of voice. They draw from vocal techniques that range from flamenco to jazz, introducing elements of electronic music to redefne the melodies.

"This is music of primal essence and unnameable longing, full of frequencies that seem to tap an ancient ache in one's bones. But the occasional smidgen of artificial reverb, synthesizer, or digital editing snaps us back to the present. Their vision of folk is no museum piece; it is contemporary, alive, and buzzing with portent." - Pitchfork

About National Sawdust:

National Sawdust believes that artistic expression empowers us all to create a more joyful and just world. The organization curates and produces music and artistic works rooted in curiosity, experimentation, innovation, and inclusivity. National Sawdust presents its work by engaging communities of artists and audiences at its state-of-the-art Williamsburg home and on its digital stage.

About World Music Institute:

Founded in 1985 as a not-for-profit, World Music Institute (WMI) has served as one of the leading presenters of world music and dance within the United States. WMI is committed to presenting the best in traditional and contemporary music and dance from around the world with the goal of inspiring wonder for the world's rich cultural traditions, promoting awareness and appreciation and encouraging cross-cultural dialog and exchange. WMI presents at venues throughout the city and depends on both public and private funding to accomplish its mission.