Daria Kulesh
The Cossack's Bride - Michell, Pfeiffer & Kulesh (Official Music Video)
The Cossack's Bride by Michell, Pfeiffer & Kulesh
Debut single available to pre-order now at: https://dariakulesh.bandcamp.com/album/the-cossacks-bride
Michell, Pfeiffer & Kulesh are a new all-female close harmony folk trio that brings together the exciting talents of Odette Michell, Karen Pfeiffer and Daria Kulesh.
Their debut single, The Cossack's Bride, aims to showcase the uniqueness of this cross-cultural, multilingual collaboration, turning familiar folk tunes into something fresh and powerful. It's a striking twist on the well-known Russian murder ballad Stenka Razin - a song usually sung with a macho flair by operatic male voices, and also popular in its harmless guise as The Seekers' sentimental rewrite (The Carnival Is Over). The original ballad recounts a shocking episode from the life of the rebel Cossack leader Stepan (Stenka) Razin, documented by the Dutch traveller Jan Struis - when taunted by his merry men about 'going soft' over a captive Persian princess, drunken Stenka responds by callously throwing her overboard into the Volga River, in a display of his 'masculinity'. Male interpretations of the song invariably glamourise its legendary antihero, making him either an almost tragic figure whose hand was forced by the duty to lead his men, or a reckless, wicked, but charismatic daredevil. The celebrated Polish singer Anna German was the first to challenge this, recording a version drenched in sadness and resentment on behalf of all women. Odette, Karen and Daria aim to carry on this legacy, finally giving Stenka's nameless victim a voice. The haunting, moody arrangement of the song frames its stinging and relevant commentary on lad culture, toxic masculinity and violence against women.
The single is accompanied by a haunting and atmospheric music video filmed by Matt Fleming at Minus Tone - https://www.minustone.co.uk
Jason Emberton (production) and Phil Beer (recording; fiddle) also lend their talents to the single.
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Odette Michell is an award-winning British folk singer and songwriter who's sound is deeply rooted in the English folk tradition. Her 2019 debut album 'The Wildest Rose' was met with critical acclaim, making several of the end of year best-of lists. Odette has since appeared at Celtic Connections, has headlined two solo UK tours and was winner of the 'Female Artist of The Year' at the 2019 FATEA Awards. http://www.odettemichell.com
Karen Pfeiffer burst on the British folk scene only four years ago as one half of the Anglo-German duo Paul Walker & Karen Pfeiffer. Having extensively toured their shows in the UK and around the world, Karen is wooing audiences not only with her natural theatricality and life affirming playful energy, but also with her “seriously impressive, mezzo-soprano voice: one that would not be out of place on the opera stage.” (The Living Tradition). The finishing touches to have audiences melt in her hands are her oatcake-induced Swabian-Staffordshire accent and her legendary German humour. http://www.paulwalkermusic.co.uk
Daria Kulesh has been described by Mike Harding as “one of the finest voices and one of the most intriguing and interesting songwriters on the present folk scene”. Mixing her Eastern roots with Western folk influences, she creates an original and exciting sound, full of passion and magic - a celebration of her Russian and Ingush (North Caucasus) heritage. She has toured extensively and has three award-winning solo albums to her name. http://www.daria-kulesh.co.uk
Daria Kulesh - vocals; shruti box
Odette Michell - vocals
Karen Pfeiffer - vocals
Phil Beer - recording; fiddle
Jason Emberton - production; additional instrumentation; mixing & mastering
Matt Fleming at Minus Tone - filming; video production
Michell, Pfeiffer & Kulesh copyright 2021 / all rights reserved
