Kitka Brings ‘Powerful Women’s Voices, Joined Together’ From East To Western
For four years, the Oakland ensemble Kitka has sung intricate harmonies from Eastern Europe. Users Shira Cion and Kelly Atkins talk about the group’s brand brand new record record album, Evening Star.
LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:
The daylight is dwindling away. The solstice comes on Friday. Therefore why don’t we pay attention to some warming songs from Eastern Europe that celebrate the summer season upon us.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “MOMCI KOLEDARCI”)
KITKA LADIES’ VOCAL ENSEMBLE: (Singing in Bulgarian).
GARCIA-NAVARRO: The record record album “star” features harmonies unique to Balkan, Slavic and Caucasian lands evening. But here is the twist – they are served up by Kitka, a vocal ensemble of numerous years standing situated in the bay area Bay region. Shira Cion could be the team’s creative director. She joins us through the studios of KQED. Welcome.
SHIRA CION: so excellent to be here, Lulu. Many thanks.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Also with us is Kelly Atkins. She actually is another Kitkat – i believe that is just what you call yourselves, appropriate?
KELLY ATKINS: It Really Is, yes. Hi.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Hi. Shira, i will begin with you. You are quoted within the press records saying this music springs from the, quote, “instinct to get together and sing when you look at the deep, dark heart of wintertime.” I favor that, in addition. Performs this music help bring the body temperature up?
CION: they really think it most likely does. And it’s really been interesting. You realize, countless studies are actually being released about kind of the physical and intellectual and social advantages of harmony performing and choral performing. And i believe most of the science is simply showing a thing that Eastern European villagers have actually recognized for hundreds of years, which will be that whenever times are tough, when climate conditions are cool, where just surviving through a hard period really calls upon communities in the future together, it is a time to sing. And I also think performing does lift spirits. It does type of synchronize our organisms together. I truly do think it helps us endure through attempting times.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Kelly, http://mail-order-bride.net/ukrainian-brides that image of this deep, dark heart of wintertime can also be a metaphor, i suppose, regarding the sorts of music that this really is. Let me know exactly exactly what – just just how you notice it.
ATKINS: Well, we also utilize the metaphor associated with rounds of life. A number of the tracks, while you probably noticed, through the record are literally about cold temperatures. Plus some of these are in regards to the cold temperatures of life. Therefore we sort of see a lot of the tracks that people go through in our own lives that we sing not only about the holidays themselves but about the cycles.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: let us tune in to a little bit of the name track. It really is a song that is bulgarian “Evening celebrity.”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “ZVEZDA VECERNICA”)
KITKA LADIES’ VOCAL ENSEMBLE: (Performing in Bulgarian).
GARCIA-NAVARRO: i eventually got to inform you, it is like something profoundly thrumming and ancient. You realize, it comes down – it surely arises from this type of important spot. It surely does. It really is amazing. Kelly, you are understood by me have history being an indie rocker. Just just What got you enthusiastic about Eastern European music that is vocal?
ATKINS: Well, the very first time we saw the Bulgarian Women’s Choir, I happened to be at Grace Cathedral. And I also sat into the pews and simply wept. And I also could not find out exactly what had been occurring in my experience. And it also simply rocked me on a tremendously, extremely deep degree. Thus I think that has been my gateway medication, once we call it when you look at the team. Just about everyone has our gateway medication of Bulgarian choir music.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: (Laughter) Shira, people additionally can be astonished to find out that there is really numerous vocal teams here in the us focusing on Eastern European music. There Is Kitka. There is Planina located in Denver. There is the Yale Slavic Chorus, that has been around very nearly 50 years. just What do you consider makes.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: . The songs so irresistible to feminine vocalists?
CION: Well, i do believe for all those of us whom I would personally state determine as liberal US feminists, there is one thing concerning the quality of effective ladies’ sounds joined up with together in this extremely real, really harmony that is close often dissonant harmony designs that actually interests a modern American feminine sensibility.
(SOUNDBITE OF UNIDENTIFIED SONG that is KITKA
KITKA LADIES’ VOCAL ENSEMBLE: (performing in spanish).
CION: And they are countries where work had been usually divided by sex. And ladies had been familiar with producing in community and music that is creating in community. We had been really and truly just dealing with this into the greenroom previous today – exactly exactly how most of us whom sing in Kitka are a lot more oriented in direction of kind of collective and harmony performing than individualistic, soloistic performing. And I also think it type of counters the kind of highly individualistic trend that America values so much. It is, like.
CION: . Everybody to.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: The solamente artist.
CION: . Themself (ph).
CION: The solamente musician. And also this is truly a public kind that can definitely just fly whenever there is a residential area of individuals taking part in it.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Why don’t we pay attention now up to A ukrainian carol from your record.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “V HOSPODARON’KA”)
KITKA LADIES’ VOCAL ENSEMBLE: (Performing in Ukrainian).
GARCIA-NAVARRO: and this is in fact a carol that is ukrainian New season’s. And also you really traveled here a bit straight back and met up by having A ukrainian team. How about your other travels to do in Eastern Europe? What is been the effect from audiences?
ATKINS: we had been in Serbia about – ended up being it 5 years ago?
ATKINS: also it had been my very first time with Kitka traveling abroad and performing music that is serbian Serbians. And I also really ended up being stressed going. I became thinking, whom have always been We as a us to go and sing these tracks in the front of the individuals where, you realize, they usually have these roots that are deep these tracks? However in reality, we had been gotten really warmly. Plus it really was a cathartic experience for both the viewers as well as us.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: therefore, Kelly and Shira, this is certainly to the two of you. What exactly is your song that is favorite on record album?
CION: Oh, which is a hardcore one.
CION: What do you believe about maybe “Blazentsv”?
ATKINS: Possibly “Blazentsv.”
CION: Yeah. This is simply not theoretically a cold weather track. But it is a track that individuals feel articulates characteristics that individuals all you will need to summon in ourselves through the christmas. It really is a musical environment of “The Beatitudes” by the composer that is russian Martynov. And, you understand, these are calling the listener to embody qualities of generosity and compassion and kindness, residing just in order that other people might just live and simply because contentment that is true arises from sort of going from the grain of greed and egoism and materialism and violence and residing carefully, residing kindly making sure that other people can have the kingdom of paradise right right here on the planet.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: That is a good vacation message. Shira Cion and Kelly Atkins through the Kitka female’s Vocal Ensemble. Their brand new record is called “Evening Star.” Many thanks both greatly.
CION: Thank you plenty for having us.
ATKINS: many thanks.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “ZAPOVEDI BLAZENSTV/ THE BEATITUDES”)
KITKA LADIES’ VOCAL ENSEMBLE: (Performing in Russian).
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Correction Jan. 18, 2019
A past type of the internet summary listed an album name that is incorrect. Kitka’s featured record is named Star, not Harmonies of Heaven and Earth evening.