HuDost

HuDost is a Music ensemble whose core musicians are singer/songwriters Moksha Sommer and Jemal Wade Hines from Montreal and New York. What commenced as an acoustic duo project has developed into a fully produced ensemble with Dan Walters on bass, John de Kadt on percussion, George Tortorelli on flutes, Linda Worster on vocals and guitar, and other occasional guests. The ensemble functions as a collective, bringing in musicians of varying sensibilities and backgrounds. HuDost's original work ranges in style from 'Alternative World Music' to their own 'Country and Eastern' fusion, and atmospheric, experimental sound. This is mixed with the rich, eclectic blending of traditional Sufi music, Bulgarian, Croatian, Macedonian and Balkan folk music, Farsi, Turkish, Arabic, Folk, Pop, Rock and Southern Gospel. HuDost performances range from the duo of Moksha and Jemal Wade to the full ensemble mode, which includes performance art, video installation and dance. Their debut CD, titled 'In an Eastern Rose Garden', was released in 2005 and received rave reviews. CDBaby says about HuDost's debut album: "These beautiful atmospheric, warm and resonant songs weave the evocative... With stylistic colors of folk, new age and pop presented with the colorful harmonic vocabulary of the East, this gentle album delicately pairs the two art forms with great success." In a recent review of Seedling CHRONOGRAM Magazine said "HuDost, from Lebanon, New York, has a folk quality yet is quite post-modern; the band offers new takes on ancient words and melodies, cross-cultural hybrid transcendental chill-out music with an edge. (The album will even be agreeable to those whose spiritual music is punk.)... This is not fluffy new-age music--it's serious, complex fare with no aversion to addressing agony. Sommer's vocal execution is precisely orchestrated, her voice-opening, hollow-toned vortexes piercing through the tough spots. This album is a journey of music and spirit." HuDost has toured Europe and performed extensively on the east coast including shows at Alex Grey's CoSM in NYC, the Salvador Dali Museum, Omega Institute, Rumi Festival at the Carborro Arts Center, and the Shakori Grassroots Festival. They have opened for the California Guitar Trio and worked with Mercan Dede and Neko Case. They have just returned from touring Turkey, Germany and several cities in Europe. HuDost's album 'Seedling', published by Open Sesame Music, was released September 2006 and their most recent album 'Unfinished' was released August, 2007 and is a collection of b-sides and rare tracks. They have been touring the US constantly since April, 2006. They will be starting their new album March 2008 with grammy award winning producer Malcolm Burn (Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, Daniel Lanois).