Kazalpin. “East Side Story”
This is the result of cooperation of Akana and Swiss Albin Brun Alpin Ensemble.
The two bands that were created out of NHS-Ethno – Nasta Nyakrasava and Akana-NHS, have demonstrated their paths or their albums to the public. The paths of both parts of NHS were alike at the beginning – they were searching. However, Nasta Nyakrasava and the newly-created band FolkRoll conquered the hearts of members of the Polish jury at the famous Polish festival “Nowa Tradycja” in 2009. Akana appeared at Jazz Koktebel and Gogolfest practically at the same time. However, problems with members and replacement of musicians did not allow to understand what the real Akana was like.
The art director of Akana, Irena Katvitskaya, has tried to explain to Euroradio what Akana and Akana-NHS are and what the deference is. To cut is short, Akana is a band of musicians and Akana-NHS is a trio of vocalists. Zmitser Padbyarezski brought the trio together with the Swiss princes – well-known musicians from Albin Brun Alpin Ensemble. It resulted in a joint project Kazalpin and we are considering their CD of the same name today.
The Swiss musicians worked on the project very seriously. The plunged into Belarusian melodies, felt their beauty, symbolism and sense and dressed our grannies’ songs in beautiful costumes. The Swiss musicians did something Belarusians had not managed to do - Akana was heard! Akana should sound the way Kazalpin sounds. “Our ideas and materials were used but there was strict differentiation: the musicians did their job, we did ours and then we united in ecstasy”, - says Irena Katvitskaya.
The album “East Side Story” consists of three parts: solo vocal compositions, instrumental compositions and ethno-jazz songs.
The instrumental compositions of Albin Brun – the leader of Albin Brun Alpin Ensemble – are filled with the Alpine colouring and modern jazz bordering on neoclassicism. Albin Brun’s “Minsk” looks like a modern European city painted in bright colours and harmonies.
Akana and Albin Brun Alpin Ensemble’s join works are an example of a dialogue of cultures – Belarusian, Alpine, European and modern world culture. The only thing that can make you worry in the absence of some zest, some emotional strain. Everything is too beautiful. Interestingly, both CDs – “Vir” and “East Side Story” were composed in this style. However, “Vir” was created by young musicians while “East Side Story” – by professionals thinking in European style.
Nobody knows whether Akana would have recorded the album without Albin Brun Alpin Ensemble. It is not clear what will happen to Kazalpin in the future. The album is the result of their joint work. Akana’s future is also vague: its participants have launched solo projects. In any case, Akana and Kazalpin will be remembered – “East Side Story” is worth buying although it is not easy to do it. You can spend 15 euro and order it in Europe like “Vir”.
Не вядома, ці запісала б дыск Акана, не з’явіся Albin Brun Alpin Ensemble. Таксама не вядома, што чакае Kazalpin у будучым, чый дыск – гэта вынік працы праекту. А яшчэ не вядомы і лёс самой Аканы: яе ўдзельніцы разбегліся па сольных элекронных праектах і гурт ці трыа знаходзяцца ў вялацякучым стане. У любым выпадку, ад Аканы і Казальпіна застанецца добрая памяць – альбом “East Side Story”, які варта мець у сваёй фанатэцы, хоць гэта і не проста зрабіць. Хіба што раскашэліцца на 15 еўра і замовіць яго ў Еўропе, як, зрэшты, і альбом “Vir”.
