KAROLINA CICHA & PATRYCJA BETLEY (Poland) | SHEHERAZAAD (USA | India)
feat. Didem Başar (Turkey) | Water & Sound Ensemble (Augsburg)
Dilip da Cunha (USA | India) | “Rivers of the Sky”

The Water & Sound Festival opens with a captivating concert evening in which pioneering artistic positions in global music can be heard across styles and come into contact with each other. Karolina Cicha, Patrycja Betley, Didem Başar and Sheheraazad explore the deep symbolism of rivers and water in human culture and history through music.

KAROLINA CICHA & PATRYCJA BETLEY

Karolina Cicha is an award-winning Polish singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist known for her innovative mix of folk, rock, ethno-jazz and electronic music. In her projects, she combines traditional styles such as Yiddish, Tatar, Karaim, Polish and Eastern European music with modern sounds, creating a unique, cross-genre sound cosmos. At her side is Patrycja Betley, her musical partner of many years, whose virtuoso and versatile percussion playing – inspired by ethnic rhythms, jazz, world music and electronic elements – complements and enriches Cicha’s music in a special way. For the first time, the two will be supported by the internationally recognized kanun player and composer Didem Başar from Istanbul, who combines Turkish and Western classical traditions in her soundscapes.

For the evening “Rivers of the Sky”, Cicha and Betley are inspired by works by the Turkish author Elif Shafak and the Polish Nobel Prize winner Czesław Miłosz, thus tracing a musical path from the Vistula via the Bosporus to the Euphrates and Tigris. The performance combines Eastern European traditional music with influences from the Middle East. Together with Didem Basar and the string quartet Water & Sound Ensemble under the direction of Tom Jahn, an impressive soundscape is created that builds a bridge between Eastern and Western traditions.

The concert includes original compositions written exclusively for this event. In Elif Shafak’s novel There Are Rivers in the Sky (2024), rivers such as the Euphrates and the Thames symbolize the metaphysical connections between past and present, man and nature, and spirit and matter. Miłosz’s philosophical reflections on rivers as a symbol of constancy and change are also woven into the musical narrative. The songs deal with topics such as the lament of a drying river, the effects of drought on communities, rivers as borders of war and ecofeminist perspectives.

with Karolina Cicha (vocals, accordion, keys), Patrycja Betley (drums, percussion), Didem Başar (kanun)
Water & Sound Ensemble: Geeta Abad (violin), Anastasia Reichert (violin), Alexander Vicar (violin), Verena Fousop (viola), Juri Kannheiser (cello), Tom Jahn (arrangements)

SHEHERAZAAD

Sheherazaad is an American-Indian singer, composer and performer from the San Francisco Bay Area. Their music combines alternative folk with influences from South and West Asia as well as Western classical music and pop. Inspired by the sound traditions of her Indian family and her own experiences between different cultures, she addresses issues of displacement, language and imagined homelands in her songs. Her latest album “Qasr”, a collaboration with Grammy award-winner Arooj Aftab, is a sonic exploration of life between worlds.

At the Water & Sound concert, Sheherazaad presents songs inspired by her deep connection to the river Ganges and the city of her ancestors, Varanasi, as well as pieces that reflect her personal experiences. Her charismatic performance will be supported by her band from London’s cosmopolitan music scene, whose members bring together influences from jazz, experimental and global music – a profound interplay of tradition, contemporary storytelling and sonic openness.

with Sheherazaad (vocals, piano), Jay Chakravorty (keys, synths, guitar), Alan Shunya (violin, cello), Nadav Schneerson (drums, percussion)

The evening will open with a keynote speech by Dilip Da Cunha and an artist talk with the participating artists. Moderation: Jenny Langner

“THE INVENTION OF RIVERS” – Keynote by Dilip Da Cunha

The keynote address at the opening of Water & Sound will be delivered by renowned architect, planner and author Dilip da Cunha, whose work is redefining the perception and use of water in design and culture. Da Cunha, currently a professor at Columbia University and co-founder of the design firm Mathur/da Cunha, is known for his groundbreaking book “The Invention of Rivers: Alexander’s Eye and Ganga’s Descent”. In this work, he challenges the conventional notion of rivers as fixed entities and instead creates a vision of the “ubiquitous wet” that transcends the artificial separation of land and water.
In his keynote speech, da Cunha explores the metaphysical and sensory dimensions of water as sound and presence, making connections between rivers such as the Ganges and the general water cycle. How have rivers been culturally and historically constructed as linear flows? At the same time, he argues for recognizing the inherent fluidity of water – its rainfall, seepage, infiltration and evaporation. By interweaving design, ecology and human perception, da Cunha invites the audience to reconsider their relationship with water as a living force that shapes not only landscapes but also cultural perceptions and soundscapes.

18:30 Admission | 19:00 Keynote & Artist Talk |
20:15 Sheherazaad | 21:30 Karolina Cicha & Patrycja Betley
Snacks, Indian food and drinks are available during the breaks

July 25 – Park Theater – from 7:00 p.m.

Photo top left: Zayira Ray | Top right photo: Tomasz Kaczor
Bottom photo: Studio Halloum

Illustration: Alex Bon