Premiere concert: „21 Songs of Love”

Talya G. A Solan (Israel) / Joanna Słowińska (Poland) / Karima Nayt (Algeria) & Modern Symphony Orchestra (Poland)

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(29.07.2011, 8:00 PM, PWST)

 

Original project of Mikołaj Blajda: „21 Songs of Love” is a monography of folk love songs: Jewish, Polish and Arabic – with the voices of three charismatic singers: Talya G. A Solan, Joanna Słowińska and Karima Nayt. Soloists will be accompanied by Modern Symphony Orchestra. Idea of the concert is to show similarities and differences in musical and performative interpretation of an emotion as universal as love. This topic is present in songs in every culture and is probably most popular, next to religious ones. At the same time the project shows love in a broader sense: as a feeling free from cultural and territorial limitations...

 

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Mikołaj Blajda (Poland)

Conductor, arranger, composer, graduate of Academy of Music in Krakow. He studied choral and orchestral conducting. At the same time he studied at the instrumental department (double bass). He worked with Chicago Paderewski Orchestra (USA), Alexandria Library Orchestra (Egipt), Radio Symphonic Orchestra, Polish Radio Choir, orchestras of Dolnoslaska and Swietokrzyska Philharmonics, Beethoven Academy Orchestra, „Fresco Sonare” from Krakow and permanently with Modern Symphony Orchestra. He arranges and writes music for his own projects and on request (for example he wrote music for the theatrical music spectacle „Pastorałka” on request of Krakow Opera). He is an originator and performer of many concerts with theater, film or oriental music. In 2011 he became the co-creator and co-producer of the live concert show: „Michael Jackson Symfonicznie”.

 

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Modern Symphony Orchestra (Poland)

It was created in 2011 on the initiative of Mikołaj Blajda (orchestra conductor) and Piotr Adam Nowak (concert master of cello). The band is a new phenomenon on Polish music scene. The aim of the orchestra creators is connecting music genres and styles and creating original projects with the use of modern multimedia techniques. The first big MSO production was the show „Michael Jackson Symfonicznie” (premiere: 17 April 2011 in Katowice). The band worked also with Jan Kanty Pawluśkiewicz and Zygmunt Konieczny, which had an effect in the performance at the Film Festival in Nowy Sącz, where songs of both composers appeared. „21 Songs of Love” is a premiere concert and international project and it was specially prepared for this year's edition of Rozstaje/Crossroads Festival.

 

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Talya G. A Solan (Israel)

The singer was born in Rehovot in Israel. She has also Bulgarian and Yemeni roots. Her singing – versatile and multi-timbre: from Yemeni trills, to Bulgarian folk songs. Her spectacles draw inspiration from many traditions and musical legacies: Gypsy folk songs, Judeo-Spanish songs, liturgical songs for celebrations and ordinary days and Jewish religious texts („Song of Songs”, versets from „Psalms”, etc.).

 

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Joanna Słowińska (Poland)

She is known by the ethno and world music admirers for the repertoire based on Polish and Slavic traditional music. With her original recitals she performed in most European countries and in the USA on many prestigious stages and festivals (i. e. NY Broadway Symphony Space, Chicago Culture Center). She is concerting with a band consisting of Krakow instrumentalists. She works with Zygmunt Konieczny („Konieczny w Teatrze Staniewskiego”, „Serce moje gram”, „Norwid – Bal”, „Noc listopadowa”). Laureate of many prestigious festivals (Polish Radio Festival 'New Tradition' – 1999, 2004, 2005, Actor's Song Festival in Wroclaw – 2004, Polish Song Festival in Opole – a finalist of „Superjedynki 2009” contest for the original studio album „Możesz być”) and a laureate of Phonographic Academy ZPAV. In the Polish Radio 'New Tradition' contest solo albums of Joanna were awarded twice as a Folk Album of the Year („Live in Alchemia” - 2005, „Możesz być” - 2008).

 

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Karima Nayt (Algeria)

Singer-songwriter and dancer, graduate of National Conservatory in Algiers. She works with a pianist and composer, Fathy Salama (joint concerts, the group Sharkiat). As a vocalist and dancer she performed at many stages. She does guest performances for groups: Saboon [ex Soap Kills] (Lebannon/France), Oriental Mood (Denmark), Eugegnio Bennato (Italy).

She is the favourite artist of choreographers: Karine Saporta (France), Lena Josefsson (Sweden), Mohamed Shafik (Egipt). A laureate of many awards, among others the Grand Prix for the best actress at the 16th International Experimental Theater Festival in Cairo (spectacle: „On the table listening to Wagner”).