Dear Friends of Village Dance House,

It's always a pleasure to let you know about great performances of
traditional music.  There is one coming soon that should not slip under your
radar!  Shoghaken, Armenia's preeminent folk ensemble, will perform in the
Great Hall of Memorial Union on Wednesday, February 20 at 8 pm.  This unique
opportunity to experience music of the Caucasus, as varied as that of the
Balkans, is offered by the Wisconsin Union Theater as part of its World
Stage Series.

Shoghaken was founded in 1991 in Yerevan, Armenia.  The ensemble uses only
traditional Armenian instruments such as duduk, zurna, dhol, kanon,
kamancha, shvi, and others.  Their music is used extensively in Atom
Egoyan's film "Ararat" about the Armenian genocide.  By invitation from
world-renowned cellist Yo Yo Ma, Shoghaken performed at the 2002
Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, DC.

The Boston Herald writes, " Shoghaken Ensemble does more than preserve
fading rural artifacts - the band gives them eternal life through
interpretations that are stunning in their drive, beauty and mystery."

You can read more about Shoghaken and sample their music at:
         http://www.road-to-armenia.com/music/music.html

Tickets are $13 for the general public, $10 for Discount Groups and
non-UW-Madison students, and $5 for UW-Madison students.

This performance is sponsored by the Wisconsin Union Theater Committee and
supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from
the State of Wisconsin. Other sponsors include the UW Center for Russia,
East-Europe, and Central Asia (CREECA), The Village Dance House, and
WORT-89.9 FM Community Radio.