Bethany & Rufus

Bethany Yarrow and Rufus Cappadocia are a cello & voice duo from Brooklyn, New York who move together through a sonic universe of transcendent invocations rooted in the spiritual musics of the Americas. Deeply influenced by ceremonial music from around the world their performances are like watching two spirits weave a river of song, prayer, and dance — of improvised melodies, ancestral incantations and ecstatic groove. Bethany & Rufus are also deeply committed to social justice and earth activism, performing often in the streets at demonstrations, rallies, and concerts for change.

Rufus Cappadocia is renowned for his cross cultural collaborations, taking the cello into previously unexplored realms. Cappadocia has collaborated with a wide spectrum of artists and dancers from around the world. Through his work with Blues, West African, Caribbean and Eastern Modal Music traditions his unique musical voice traces the lineage of American music back to its root sources. Cappadocia is also known for his improvisation based solo cello repertoire and critically acclaimed CD Songs for Cello (Daqui Records).

Rufus met Bethany in 1999 at a gig at the legendary Knitting Factory in downtown Manhattan and they quickly formed a deep musical partnership. As the daughter of folk legend Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul & Mary) Bethany absorbed a huge amount of traditional folk music, blues and spirituals in her early childhood which permanently rooted her in the ancestral voices of the Americas. Throughout her life she has continued to learn traditional songs and prayer music from different lineages around the globe.