Contrary to Expectation
	Taking its name from the Hebrew slang for "contrary to expectation", Davka has kept its audiences expecting the unexpected since 1992. Davka has refined its music into a forward-looking expression of universality; Old-world Jewish Ashkenazi melodies meld with striking Middle-Eastern rhythms. Contemporary harmonies and daring improvisations combine with inventive and beautiful textures. DAVKA composes and performs an exciting new instrumental music based on the major musical influences of the modern Jewish world; klezmer/Yiddish music, Middle-Eastern/Sephardic music, Western classical music, and elements of American jazz and pop music. They have recorded five CDs with Interworld Music and John Zorn's Tzadik label. The group also performs Daniel Hoffman’s original score to the classic 1920 expressionist film “The Golem”. Daniel’s dark, comic score premiered at the Ashkenaz Festival of New Yiddish Culture in 1998. Based in the USA and Israel, DAVKA has performed at numerous major international festivals and has appeared in concert throughout the US, Canada, Europe, and Israel. DANIEL HOFFMAN, VIOLIN - co-founded Davka in 1992 and has earned a reputation as one of leading innovators in new Jewish music and one of the foremost experts of the Yiddish violin style. He has composed many theatrical scores and two new scores for the silent films, The Golem and Jewish Luck. His first full-length musical, David in Shadow and Light will premier at Theater J in Washington DC in May of 2008. MOSES SEDLER, CELLO - co-founded Davka in 1992. Moses has his background in Western classical music, composition and jazz improvisation. Moses has appeared with Pharoah Sanders, Hamza El Din, Paul McCandles, Omar Sosa, Kai Ekhardt, amongst others, and has composed for many Bay-Area dance companies including Alonzo King's Lines Contemporary Ballet, and Kunst-Stoff. KEVIN MUMMEY, PERCUSSION - one of the Bay-Area's most versitile and virtuosic percussionists, Kevin learned with Swapan Chaudury, Vince Delgado, and Jack Gates. His extraordinary range of skills finds him in great demand in jazz, rock, flamenco, Arabic, and North Indian classical music. PAUL HANSON, BASSOON - has gained international recognition for his unique bassoon playing. Paul has performed/recorded with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Wayne Shorter, Medeski Martin & Wood, Peter Erskine, Jonas Hellborg, Omar Sosa, Ray Charles, Terry Riley, Darol Anger, Dave Binney, the Klezmorim, and played as soloist with the Napa Symphony. Paul was the 1996 winner of JAZZIZ Magazine's WOODWINDS ON FIRE competition-the first bassoon winner ever. "Davka's four musicians whirl their spells with a supple interplay of violin, cello, bassoon and percussion. Their compositions and improvisations, swirling around a center of enlivened klezmer melodies and pulsing Middle Eastern rhythms, weave a dancing, winding path through the diversity of Jewish cultural and historic experience...". Jerry Karp, SF Chronicle "Davka does with Jewish motives what composer Bela Bartok does with traditional Hungarian motives. The result is impressive - the group creates rich, colorful, and polished harmonies infused with inspiration". Ori Nir, Ha'aretz "The musical equivalent of a Chagall painting". Jessie Hamlin, SF Chronicle www.davkamusic.com Davka Doina Road to Sfat Darka Kind of  Vulgar GOLEM