SPRING/SUMMER, 2008 FUNDRAISING APPEAL!
Our goal is to raise $22,000 this spring and summer - please donate generously in support
of Libana's upcoming research and performance trip to Bulgaria in August, 2008!

Good friends far and near,

"But the musical heart and soul of the show is Libana, whose close penetrating
harmonies and intricate rhythms were riveting." --The Boston Globe

In every land - whether under the humming arc of South African sky, or deep in
the shimmering rainforest of Brazil, or tucked into the craggy reaches of Bulgaria’s
steep mountains - there are women who hold the indigenous soul of memory
through song.

We ask you to support our continuing research and adventure!

Last December as the light danced its seasonal spiral toward deepest dark, Harvard
University’s venerable Sanders Theater was magically transformed into a thrumming
Balkan village - complete with rustic wooden gates, a glowing hearth and
snow-laden birches - in preparation for the 37th annual Christmas Revels.

Invited to be guest artists for this acclaimed theatrical production, Libana joyfully
accepted, and so it was that we began our most recent foray into that which is
mystical, ancient and of the spirit which permeates the musical artistry of Bulgaria.

Cast as the village wise women, each night we stepped out of the shadows, through
the throng of townspeople, the gold coins fringing our elegant wool aprons jingling
as if to announce our presence, and sang. We sang of sorrow and nightingales,
of wine and the well, of love and ritual, of all that embraces the ecstatic, tumultuous
history of the Balkan countries.

Throughout the Balkan regions the Winter Solstice and its impending darkness
heralds a magical junction, a time when the sky cracks open beckoning the ancestral
spirits to visit their earthly home. It is a time of warmth, blessings and offerings, of
feasting, divination and merriment - all of it symbolic of honoring those who have
come before and of creating abundance for the coming year.

Being steeped in this aura of ancestral mystery renewed and ignited our desire to
return to Bulgaria, to experience the power of the land and to seek out some of the
singers who embody the spirit imbued in the unique music and dance of rural Bulgaria.
Nurtured in the fertile dark of December, coaxed into sprouting as spring finally
warmed the earth, this summer will see this dream come true.

In August, Libana will travel to Bulgaria to meet our sisters in song.

Several generous donations have enabled us to accelerate our musical study with
renowned singer Tatiana Sarbinska so that when we step onto the pavilion at the
Bourgas Festival on the shores of the Black Sea, we will have the timbre, tuning
and nuance of an authentic Bulgarian ensemble.

After our debut as the sole North American ensemble at this international festival,
we will journey west across the sunflowered plains of central Bulgaria and head
high into the mountains to Bansko, Dobrinište, and Blagoevgrad to rendezvous
with the Babi’s of the village, the elder women who hold the lore and legend of a
past time. We are eager to learn directly from them. We plan to sit beneath the
plum trees amidst the convivial banter of a proud and enduring people, to learn
rarely taught songs from the source.

We look forward to staying in rural homes, wading our way through herds of goats,
flocks of chickens, and the occasional kitten to find our way to the “bathroom” in the
barn. We relish the opportunity to experience and dive into the spirit which propels a
country continuing to thrive on the vigor and exuberance of music and dance.

This is what we wish for ourselves. Your generous donation will support Libana’s
research, continued travel, and the ongoing activities of our vibrant arts organization.
We encourage you to become a first-time donor as we embark on this remarkable
journey, and we encourage past donors to increase their yearly contribution.

Our goal is to raise $22,000. We ask you to give generously.
To donate, click here or call 1-800-997-7757

In the chill of midwinter, costumed neighbors - Koledari - process from house to
house bestowing blessings upon each home. After a passionate litany of good wishes,
all proclaim “Da bade družina”:

"Let it be true friends!"

With the warmth of the summer sun and your continued generosity, we know it will be!

With heartfelt thanks,
Marytha Paffrath

PS. NEW! Visit Libana's MySpace page
Libana’s music is now available to download on itunes!

Revels photo: Roger Ide/ Libana publicity photo: Joan Hill