American Premiere / Concert

Saga

January 9 & 10, 2016 at National Sawdust

Dez Mona is one of Belgium’s finest indie bands whose style fuses jazz, gospel, spirituals, and drama. For the creation of Sága, they engage in a sparkling collaboration with B.O.X. (Baroque Orchestration X), along with the outstanding vocalist Gregory Frateur.

 

Sága is a theatrical song cycle, which deals with “homecoming” as its main theme. The title of the work refers to the well-known epic tales composed in Iceland and Greenland some time between the 12th and 14th centuries, and also to Sága: in Norse mythology she is the goddess of history and storytelling. Dez Mona tells stories about the soul and goes in search of their love for the land, a home, and the world in which they live. The songs emanate from the continuous search for ideal geographical and spiritual surroundings. By looking into the past, Dez Mona tries to explain the current state of affairs. But more than anything, their latest work is a poetic reflection on what is happening here and now.

 

Sága was created with the support of deSingel in Antwerp, Klara festival, Opera Days Rotterdam, and with the generous support of the General Representation of the Government of Flanders.

 

Photos by Jill Steinberg.