On Saturday June 12, The Allen County-Scottsville Arts Council will present the first event of its 2010 Arts On Main Summer Concert Series with a free performance by world music purveyors, Hudost.

HuDost was initially formed as an acoustic duo between singer/songwriters Moksha Sommer from Montreal and Jemal Wade Hines from New York, but developed into a fully produced ensemble. HuDost functions as a duo or a band, incorporating musicians of varying sensibilities and backgrounds, and often including performance art, video installation and dance in their shows. A rich, eclectic blending of traditional Sufi music, Bulgarian, Croatian, Macedonian and Balkan folk music, Farsi, Turkish, Arabic, Folk, Pop and Rock, their sound crosses all borders and barriers, taking the listener on a journey they will not soon forget.

Bringing to the group a strong musical training background, Sommer has traveled the globe, studying no less than 12 distinctive vocal styles from around the world and with her clear, soaring voice, Sommer is described by some as “a cross between a more overtly sultry Paula Carino and a less boisterous Juliana Nash mixed with the emotional quality of early Sarah McLachlan.”

Adding to the group’s musically eclectic and original feel is the unexpected edge the group contributes with its exotic instrumentation that includes harmonium, bouzouki, and bendir among others.

Having toured the US constantly since April 2006 and also playing shows across Canada, Europe and even as far east as Turkey, HuDost has brought their atmospheric and resonant songs all across the globe. Some of their most memorable shows include performances at Alex Grey’s CoSM in NYC, the Salvador Dali Museum, Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, FloydFest, The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, headlining SE NPR’s WMNF World Fusion Fest, and Tim Robbin’s WTF Festival at his Actor’s Gang Theater. HuDost has also opened for the California Guitar Trio and Jefferson Starship and has worked with Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Neko Case, Alex Grey, Incendio and Mercan Dede.

Their debut CD, titled ‘In an Eastern Rose Garden’, was released in 2005 and received rave reviews. Later, in a review of HuDost’s 2006 release “Seedling,” Chronogram Magazine said “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.”

Most recently, with the help of Malcolm Burn, the Grammy award-winning producer who has worked with Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan and Iggy Pop, HuDost produced an album that is almost unclassifiable and put them at the forefront of the folk rock world. One critic said, “HuDost is guaranteed to energize your musical synapses with music that never rests, never stops moving. In conversational terms, Trapeze is an album that never really raises its voice yet commands the room. Trapeze is a classic.”

This free to the public outdoor concert will be held at the Arts On Main Pavilion at 201 East Main Street in historic downtown Scottsville Kentucky with an adjacent rain locale at The Allen County Cooperative Extension Agency at 200 East Main Street. Bench seating is limited, so be sure to bring enough blankets and lawnchairs for the entire family.