Lucia Comnes

Check out with DATEBOOK of the SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE had to say:
Sunday, September 14, 2008 (SF Chronicle)
CD: Lucia Comnes, 'On the Way'
The original article can be found on SFGate.com here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/09/ 1/PK4K12O6SF.DTL
"Solas and other musical groups have done the traditional Irish folk song "Calling Home the Calves" (Aililiu Na Gamhna), but Lucia Comnes has taken it to a higher level, using her singular voice and two instruments from the Indian subcontinent - bansuri flute and shruti box - to create a goose-bumpy tableau of nature and memory. "Calling Home the Calves" is one of numerous delights on Comnes' new album, "On the Way," which takes songs from across borders - including from Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria - and interprets them anew while retaining the original language. The result: a cascade of tunes (plus a jazzy Comnes original) that are otherworldly and embedded with soul and spirit. On many songs, violin merges with accordion, electric bass and other instruments, then is capped by Comnes' vocalizations, which cross musical chasms. Comnes lives in the Bay Area, but her home is really the world at large."
World music
LUCIA COMNES
ON THE WAY
INDEPENDENTLY PRODUCED
$16
Copyright 2008 SF Chronicle
Lucia Comnes on iTunes: www.itunes.com/luciacomnes/ontheway
BIO
Best summarized as:
"Diversity is the critical ingredient in the works of classically trained violinist Lucia Comnes. Enchanted by Europe and its diverse musical sounds, the San Francisco native has traveled to and studied the music of Ireland, Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria. After experiencing success with KITKA, an internationally acclaimed vocal ensemble specializing in Balkan/Eastern European folk music, Comnes has concentrated on creating her own style of music, blending the best of everything she uncovered in the travels, all set against a backbone of...wait for it...jazz. What results is her own genre of instrumental mastery."
- Monterey County Weekly, California
Lucia Comnes is a singer and violinist who interprets songs from many traditions. With a rich background in performance and ethnomusicology, she sings in more than 30 different languages and leads a band that reflects this cultural versatility. An emotive and stunning performer, she takes her audience on a journey around the world as well as into the depths of the human soul. An aspiring composer, Lucia’s first original song, “Water,” debuts on her new album, “On the way.”
Learn more at:
http://www.luciacomnes.com/contact.html