ETHNICA MUSIC PROJECT

ETHNICA MUSIC PROJECT
  • country:Russian Federation
  • style(s):Fusion, Traditional
  • label:Megaliner Records
  • artist posted by:Ethnica Music Project

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The idea of the ETHNICA MUSIC PROJECT was generated by vocalist and leader NetLenka in May 1997. By that time, she had been a member of the folk band Zvontsy for four years, had been a vocalist in a project of saxophonist Vladimir Chekasin entitled Chekasin And Guests, had been cooperating with the singer of Celtic music Timur Rafiev and his band Puck And Piper, and had also founded her own folk band Shumel Kamysh.

The first important performance of ETHNICA MUSIC PROJECT took place at the Moscow Palace of Youth in December 1998. The most noteworthy events of subsequent years included the festival ‘Tramplin’ in the framework of the exhibition Music. Moscow. 2000, participation in a number of concert programs related to the 3rd Eurasian Teleforum, Exhibitions Record-2001 and Record-2002, the movie festival ‘Deboshir-Film Pure Dreams – V’ (St. Petersburg), as well as charity concerts. In December 2001 NetLenka was a prizewinner at the Moscow festival entitled ‘Music of the New Generation’.

The cross-border debut of ETHNICA took place in June 2002. The team was asked to represent Russia at the 23rd Folk Festival of European Broadcasting Union in Moeln (Germany). It is worth noting that the last time Russian musicians took part in this festival was six years ago. ETHNICA was also a great success at the 6th International Silver Trumpets Festival, also in 2002, where it was awarded a number of honorary diplomas and other recognitions.

The main event of 2002 was the release of ETHNICA’s debut album on the music label Manchester Files. The album release stirred a reaction from almost all Russian music journalists and critics. The magazine ‘Play’ favored it with a ‘Recommended Play’ rating. Two music compositions, ‘Dawn’ and ‘On the Wing’, were included in a number of music collections: FUZZbox Vol. 10, FUZZbox Vol. 14, Play – Russian Compilation, Hunt Vol. 6, and The Finest Songs from the Cokxpon Ambient Garden (Hungary).

The premier of the new concert program ‘Rusalki’(Mermaids) took place at Gorbushkin Dvor on May 18, 2003. ETHNICA gave a performance with the same program at the central square in Bucharest (Romania) as well as in clubs in Budapest and Dyor (Hungary). Afterwards, ETHNICA was invited to participate in the large European open-air festival Sziget-2003 and Sziget-2004. During breaks between concert tours, ETHNICA's ‘Rusalki’ could be seen in Moscow clubs 16 Tons, Bunker, B2, JVL and at the Ethnolife festival. In November 2003 ETHNICA performed together with the cult Norwegian singer Kari Rueslatten in Moscow.

The album ‘Omut’(Whirpool) released in may 2004. It is created by ETHNICA featuring MOX. The album includes eight tracks written by NetLenka (music, poetry) and Mikhail Salnikov (music). The album’s creation was inspired by springtime Russian folk songs about mermaids. There are many myths about the origin of mermaids in ancient Russia. A legend says that all female infants who are born dead or die soon after birth without being baptized, as well as all drowned women, become mermaids. Mermaids have eternal youth and beauty. In spring, when everything is blooming, from Semik till Petrov's Day, mermaids wander around the shores of their rivers, resting near oaks, swinging on branches or tying their braids.

In 2005-2006 the first wide european tour of "Ethnica Music Project" named "Fairy Wood" took place, supporting the similar album. 15 concerts were performed during the journey (Poland - Germany - Hungary). Within the tour, NetLenka participated in free-jazz festival "Art Rhythmic Depot", Poland and mix performances with Tuvian musician Gennadii "Gendos" Chamzyryn. As a special guest she was invited to take a part in Gendos' new album "Ham-Dyt. Shaman Tree" (Luna Music, Poland)."

Ethnica Music Project" keeps on experimenting. This time Net-Lenka's authentic vocals are surrounded by legacy analog synthesizers of 70-s, all by Alex Pleninger, Ph.D. Just imagine mentioned above plus NetLenka's modern-eclectic plastics and psychodelic video-art and here it is - a powerful and soul-crafted energetic cocktail expressed in this new musical program.