Armenian And East European Melodies Abound In GORANI: LULLABIES AND LOVE SONGS TO LOST HOMELANDS

Hammer Theatre Center presents Kitka Women's Vocal Ensemble and Hasmik Harutyunyan together performing Gorani: Lullabies and Love Songs to Lost Homelands. This stunning collaboration is the result of Oakland-based Kitka's long-standing relationship with Shoghaken Folk Ensemble and its lead member Hasmik Harutyunyan. In October 2010, the Kitka Women's Vocal Ensemble traveled from Oakland to Armenia to deepen their study of Armenian folk singing traditions. The all-female group-which specializes in Eastern European women's vocal traditions-engaged in village expeditions and joint field work with Shoghaken, as well as students and professors from the Komitas State Conservatory, performing a cross-cultural program featuring Armenian lullabies, wedding songs, songs of longing, as well as Balkan, Greek, and Georgian songs.

Kitka Women's Vocal Ensemble and Hasmik Harutyunyan will perform 7:30pm, Saturday, October 19 at Hammer Theatre Center, 101 Paseo De San Antonio, San Jose. For more information and tickets ($30-$45), the public may visit www.hammertheatre.com or call (408) 924-8501.

Based in Oakland, Kitka Women's Vocal Ensemble performs traditional songs and utilizes vocal techniques from Eastern Europe and Eurasia. Founded in 1979 as an offshoot of the Westwind International Folk Ensemble, Kitka began as a grassroots group of amateur singers from diverse ethnic and musical backgrounds who shared a passion for the stunning dissonances, asymmetric rhythms, intricate ornamentation, and resonant strength of traditional Eastern European women's vocal music. Since its informal beginnings, the group has evolved into an award-winning professional touring ensemble known for its artistry, versatility, and mastery of the demanding techniques of regional vocal styling, as well as for its innovative explorations in new music for female voices.

Hasmik Harutyunyan is an Armenian folk singer who has been recognized with the prestigious Meritorious Artist of the Republic of Armenia award. Aside from being the leading member of the Shoghaken Folk Ensemble, she directs the Hayrik Muradyan Traditional Song and Dance Children's Ensemble. Harutyunyan has also performed as a soloist with the Akunk Ensemble of Armenian National Radio in Armenia, Europe, and the Soviet Union. With Shoghaken Folk Ensemble, she has performed in Armenia, France, Germany, Estonia, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and the US.

The Hammer Theatre Center is a distinctive, state-of-the-art performance venue in the heart of downtown San José. Owned by the City of San José and operated by San José State University (SJSU), the Hammer Theatre's mission is to serve the community through artistically and educationally excellent programming that is expressive of the unique characteristics and diverse cultures that comprise Silicon Valley. The broader vision of the Hammer includes arts, innovation, and technology programming on the Paseo de San Antonio, creating a vibrant pathway between SJSU and the Tech Museum and bridging the urban spaces from Saint James Park down to the South of First Avenue cultural district. The Hammer also aims to connect SJSU's more than 37,000 faculty, students, and staff with the downtown cultural and economic corridors.