Musicians
contact: brina.vogelnik@guest.arnes.si info@drugagodba.si www.drugagodba.si
The establishment of the ensemble Brina – named after its lead singer Brina Vogelnik – was brought about by the members’ desire for a free, fresh and bold musical approach. The group came together in 2003, after Brina Vogelnik had left her previous band Stringsi with which she had recorded the album Graščakinja and appeared at some of the more prominent festivals in Europe (Rudolstadt, Falun and Krems). Brina’s six-member ensemble draw its musical motifs from traditional music, which is brought back to life and rearranged, while lately its repertoire has increasingly consisted of original pieces by the singer Brina and her mother Eka.
Both of Brina’s albums – Mlado leto (The Young Year, 2004, DruGod) and Pasja legenda (A Dog’s Legend, 2006, Drugod) – have made a strong mark in the world music map. For the impressive three months, Pasja legenda held its place among top 10 at the World Music Charts Europe, which is voted for by 50 radio DJ’s from entire
Europe. In November 2006, the album landed as high as on 3rd place. Their two albums, Mlado leto and Pasja legenda, have received remarkable reviews both in Slovenian and international magazines, to include fRoots, Songlines and World Music Magazine.
Following Vlado Kreslin, Brina are only the second Slovene performer who appeared at Womex – World Music Expo – in Seville in 2006. They have also performed at Charlie Gilett’s show at BBC World Service. On his website, Charlie Gillett posted a review of the album Pasja legenda, declaring it album of the month (November), and even ranking it among six best albums of 2006, while nominating the song Poljanska balada song of the year. The very same song was also chosen as Hit of the Week at Val 202, (Radio Slovenia, Second Channel), the radio station with the largest audience in Slovenia. In 2006 they performed at some of the major world music festivals in Slovenia and Croatia (Druga godba, Ljubljana; Ethnoambient, Solin)
“Brina’s connection to tradition is a firm one for various reasons, one of them undoubtedly being the environment which Brina Vogelnik comes from, and which has a long history of cherishing a lively interest in traditional music. At the same time, in today’s music industry, replete with trends, clichés and market demands, one needs to find a music expression which both the performer and the listener feel as authentic and real, and not as a copy or as a mere resemblance to something else. The traditional music vault is like a forgotten grandmother’s case where one finds most extraordinary items, witnesses of the time and people beyond ours. Traditional songs reveal their protagonists as really being ourselves, and their stories really our own. At one point when the song penetrates the heart, both the past and the future connect, creating an impalpable moment when time becomes irrelevant and when we start telling one long uninterrupted story, a personal story.” Drago Ivanuša
BRINA IS WOMEX 2006 ARTIST! www.womex.com
BRINA are:
BRINA VOGELNIK, vocals
JELENA ŽDRALE, violin
BLAŽ CELAREC, percussion
NINO DE GLERIA, electric bass, double bass
DRAGO IVANUŠA, accordion
LUKA ROPRET, guitars
JULIJ ZORNIK, sound
