Karolina Cicha is a polish singer-songwriter. One-woman-orchestra. She plays many instruments at once and sings using vocal techniques that she developed herself. The project for World Music Festival Bratislava will be sung in 9 different minority's languages, played on 13 instruments and was presented in over 14 countries. We are looking forward to her performance with Bart Palyga during the Gala Concert on Saturday, September 23, 2017 at the Babylon Atelier, Bratislava. We asked her a few questions about her and her music in a short interview.
You have a PhD. in Literary Studies. You didn't study music. Who showed you how to play the music? What does music mean to you?
I started to learn music on my first keyboard piano when I was ten. Nobody showed me how to play. I was just freely exploring sounds, trying to find melodies I love - how they will combine on keyboard by one hand. Then I added second hand - and it was amazing to hear how they sound together. I trained till both hands were working separately - then I explored harmony. And it is till today - I hear the music, sometimes I need to express something - and when I open accordion - I'm really glad that God gave me such a easiness with improvising and expressing.
Do you connect music with poetry?
Yes I did some projects on polish poetry - I find music as a very good tool of interpretation poetry. Instead of leading lectures on analysis of literature - I do concerts on poetry of such a poets as Tadeusz Różewicz or Tadeusz Gajcy.
Which kind of music do you play? Is it possible to describe it with words at all?
World music with a pint of poetry and rock groove thinking
You know to play many instruments at once and you sing using vocal techniques that you developed yourself. How do you use your voice? Which kind of instruments do you use?
My left hand plays base on accordion (I have very low accordion). My right hand plays keyboard. My feet normally are playing separately on percussion sampler - where I have a lot of different sounds - as well drums and instrumental sounds like harps, flutes etc. And I add voice as five source of sound which I make in one time. So it can sound sometimes like the band with five man: drum section, base, voice and keyboard.
You are using several languages for singing. How many languages do you speak personally?
Polish, English, German and a bit Spanish. I know Latin.
You investigate very many styles of music, but manages not to stick to any one of them. What makes you most fascinated about joining music styles and why are you doing this?
Just to express myself. Maybe I myself I'm eclectic a bit or not stick to any style.
Are you planning to play songs from your latest album in Bratislava? Tell me more about '9 Languages'album. What makes it unique? And what's about cooperation with Bart Pałyga?
Well Bart is excellent improviser and he plays a lot of ethnical instruments - we understand each other perfectly. In Bratyslawa we will play material from '9 Languages' album but we will present some songs from our laters 'Tatar Album'
You use a lot of exotic musical instruments on this album. What can we look forward to in Bratislava?
We will take instruments such as fidel plocka, morin khuur, kobyz, saz, jews harps. Bart is also throat singer.
The main organizer of the festival, Jarka Vlčková, told me that in Bratislava you are starting your honeymoon. What convinced you that you confirmed your participation in the festival? What are you looking forward to the most?
- yes it will be my honeymoon and I will come with my new husband to your city and we will start our honeymoon from Bratislava World Music Festival! The line-up of the festival is very interesting and we will come for other concerts and it will be also good oportunity to see surroundings of Bratislava too. So Bart and our soundengineer Andrzej will come back to Poland after concert - but me and my husband go further south. And I think Slovakia is the best country to start honeymoon!
SAŠA PASTORKOVÁ
"Płyta tatarska / Tatar Album"
WOMEX official selection artist profile
The whole program of World music festival Bratislava you can find here!