Belarusian folk music band лVietah╗ (local name of waning moon) started by Viachaslau Kalatsei in 1997 was planned as a band of duda (a kind of bagpipe) music. The band consists of professional musicians and has its own singing childrenТs fellow-band. It also cooperates with Tatiana PladunovaТs ensemble of song and dance лVieras╗. Recently the members of both collectives have been helping to the лVietah╗ founders even more actively. So, now they are not only disciples of folk culture movement but rather colleagues of лVietah╗.



The bandТs repertoire, that is based not only on sound or video recordings performed by the representatives of the old traditions but on out-of town expeditions as well, is diverse: calendar and working songs, duda and bow music, games, ceremonies and dances of northern, western and center Belarus.



By its music style лVietah╗ is a representative of so-called Уpost-folkФ music movement, a branch of the main rural culture existing in the way of city-life. Regularly the band together with the oldest rural representatives of traditions and local inhabitants of the same age with the musicians celebrate лThe Summer Cross holiday╗ (Easter, Kupalle, Dziady, Kalyada). Since 2001 three-four times a year (on the eve of the main folk holidays) лVietah╗ gives a great duda music dancing party that takes place in one of the Minsk clubs (this event is known by the name of УOver Kryvia without button accordion music tripФ). The audience coming to the party has the possibility to get acquainted with the Belarusian folk games and dances and to take part in performing of the ancient chanting.



Such music instruments as ocarina, flute, violin, psaltery (maestro Vadzim Parhimovich, Ales Zhukouski), duda (maestro Viktar Kulpin), different kinds of drums are used as accompaniment.



More than once the band was invited by Belarusian radio channel лRadio-1╗ to take part in its program лRadioclub Folklore╗. Together with such bands and singers as лLaiksne╗, лLicviny╗, лGhoscica╗, Natallia Matylitskaya, лGuda╗, лKuokle╗, лMusica Radicum╗, лReketukas╗, лManugi╗, лDudarzy wielkopolsky╗ лVietah╗ played on the stages of Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Germany, Belgium and France.



Discography:
Vietah & Vieras. лTemporality╗ Ц ╤D, 1999
Vietah & Talaka. лArrow╗ Ц ╤D, 2003
Vietah. лVietah live on DVD╗ Ц DVD, 2006
Vietah & Vieras. лVietah in an acid childhood╗ Ц ╤D, 2007
Vietah & bagpipe bands. лDudy of winter St. George╗ Ц DVD, 2008
Vietah & belarusian folk bands. Sun - to summer! Winter - to frost! Ц DVD, 2010

Telephone, mobile:
+375 29 754 35 88 (9.00-10.00 & 15.00-16.00 Minsk time)
E-mail: vietah@narod.ru