Lifelong Songs

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Two women with very different lives, united by their common name Nadia, which means hope in Ukrainian, but also by their deep love of song. Some time ago, singing in Ukraine was commonplace; traditional songs were powerful collective meditations that accompanied people from birth to death. Nadia Mykytivna, 82, from the village of Kriachkivka, is one of those few who still keeps this fading tradition alive. She has been singing in the Drevo folk ensemble for 58 years, and is well-known by folklorists all over Eastern Europe. Nadia Mykytivna is the last member of the original Drevo ensemble, and musicians from all over the world travel to Kriachkivka to learn from her. On the other side of the ocean, in the United States, there is another Nadia. A short visit to Kriachkivka and hearing its songs changed her life. Inspired by this, Nadia made an intimate autobiographical theatrical monologue, The Broken…