STERLING — Woodlawn Arts Academy is excited to welcome Israel’s Sofi & the Baladis as the third artist in the 2017-19 cycle of Arts Midwest World Fest.

Arts Midwest World Fest is a program of Minneapolis-based Arts Midwest, one of six regional arts organizations in the United States. Through this two-year partnership, Arts Midwest brings four international music ensembles to the Sauk Valley. Each ensemble spends a week in the area, during which the ensemble will share its unique culture and music through workshops in Sterling, Rock Falls, Dixon and Port Byron schools, in community locations, and through a public concert celebration at the end of the week.

The idea behind the program is to give Midwestern communities, especially smaller and mid-size communities, an opportunity to hear music, language and culture that is not available very often, if at all.

The Sofi & the Baladis concert is set for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8 at Centennial Auditorium, Sterling High School. Tickets will be available beginning Nov. 8 online at centennialauditorium.org or at the Centennial Auditorium box office.

The five-member ensemble, led by singer Sofi Tsedaka, features soulful and richly textured performances of an array of musical traditions that lie at the heart of Israel’s diverse and historic cultures. The group’s multi-lingual concerts present new interpretations of songs from the ancient Samaritan community as well as compelling vocal and instrumental work from mid-20th century Arabic composers. Their music transcends genres and moves easily from deeply spiritual to an upbeat and rhythmic style that captivates and brings audiences to their feet. The commentary Sofi provides throughout the concert tells the moving and powerful story of the Samaritan Tsedaka family and their search for balance as they navigate the pathway between their Jewish and Arab identities.

“We are excited to be able to welcome Sofi Tsedaka and her group to the area,” said Christy Zepezauer, Executive Director of Woodlawn Arts Academy, an agency of United Way of Whiteside and Lee counties. “This is another tremendous chance to enjoy a rich arts experience right in our community. And program sponsors cover a substantial portion of the program cost so that small communities like the Sauk Valley can afford to provide this opportunity.”

The Academy previously hosted Manhu from China and the Unni Boksasp Ensemble from Norway. Ondekoza from Japan, featuring the powerful sounds and rhythms of taiko drumming so important in Japanese culture, will be the final concert in the tour cycle, in March 2019.

A program of Arts Midwest, the 2017–2019 Arts Midwest World Fest cycle is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, The Hearst Foundations, 3M, the Japan Foundation through the Performing Arts JAPAN program, the Kaufman Family Fund for Israeli Cultural Exchange, the Nordic Culture Fund, and Music Norway. Additional support is provided by the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Heritage Foundation Grants Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation for Manhu. Funding for Sofi & the Baladis is provided in part by contributions from the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest; Israel Lottery Council for Culture & Arts; and Music Port.

Arts Midwest is also generously supported by Illinois Arts Council Agency, Indiana Arts Commission, Iowa Arts Council, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, Minnesota State Arts Board, North Dakota Council on the Arts, Ohio Arts Council, South Dakota Arts Council, and Wisconsin Arts Board.

Sofi & the Baladis

Israeli musical group Sofi & the Baladis will perform on Dec. 8 in Sterling as part of Woodlawn Arts Academy's two-year partnership with Arts Midwest. Band members include Sofi Tsedaka, center, vocals; Yaniv Taichman, from back left clockwise, oud; Jonathan Dror, wind instruments; Yosef Bronfman, qanun; and Yshai Afterman, percussion. (Photo contributed)