Event

Stary Olsa In Concert

Belarusian band Stary Olsa occupies a unique position at the intersections where past meets present, tradition mingles with innovation, and contemporary creative expression has demanded the cultivation of skills that date back to the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Much like their namesake (a wandering brook in the Mahilou region), Stary Olsas path has been full of twists and turns, and is also inextricably linked to the traditional culture, history and music of Belarus and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
In the late 1990s, Zmicier Sasnouski brought together a diverse group of musicians, some classically trained and some also self-taught, who encompass a wide range of professions (several teachers, a computer programmer, and a professional chef). Like many bands, Stary Olsas roster shifted until it settled on the current line-up, which includes: Zmicier Sasnouski (bagpipes, gusli, tromba marina, vocal, hurdy-gurdy), Maryja Saryj (flutes, shawms), Alies Chumakov (vocal, gusli, cister, rebec, shawms), Illia Kublicki (lute, cisters), Siarhiej Tapcheuski (drums, percussion, tromba marina) and Aliaksiej Vojciech (drums, percussion).
The band has recorded twelve albums of traditional Belarusian ballads, martial songs, and canticles in addition to popular European songs from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Their most current album, Medieval Classic Rock, is the result of YouTube postings of informal rehearsal videos in which band members play their favorite rock tunes.
On February 26, 2016, the band launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for the new album. They reached their initial goal in one week and then set their sights on a stretch goal to fund a U.S. tour. By mid-March they had reached the goal and were planning their trip.
As they kick off their first tour of the states, Stary Olsas aim is to not only introduce U.S. audiences to the beauty of the Belarusian culture and the richness of its age-old musical traditions, but also show how much it has in common with modern rock classics as they bring living history to the stage!