Aurelia Shrenker and Eva Salina Primack have been performing together as Æ ("ash") for two years. Based in Brooklyn, NY, they perform internationally and have just released their debut CD, the self-titled Æ. These two young women bring together a deep knowledge of different vocal traditions and create something new and daring with each song. They have chosen the name Æ because it represents something of a dual nature--not singular, not plural, but exactly two. The two women primarily perform a cappella but enjoy accompanying themselves on accordion and Georgian panduri. Their repertoire includes songs from Appalachian, Balkan, Caucasus Georgian, and Corsican traditions. In addition to their album, Æ is featured in the soundtrack of "The Great Soviet Eclipse", the newest film produced under the auspices of the Museum of Jurassic Technology (www.mjt.org). Æ's work is rooted in folk culture and never falls short of being visceral and provocative--in their music, the exuberance of youth and the reverence of ancient tradition coincide.
A native of Santa Cruz, California, Eva Salina Primack has been studying, performing, and teaching Balkan music for most of her life. She has traveled and performed internationally, worked with many well-known Balkan and American musicians, and lives in Brooklyn. Eva received a B.A. in Ethnomusicology from UCLA. In addition to her work with Æ, Eva can be found singing with Slavic Soul Party!, Which Way East, Kadife, Veveritse, and Seido Salifoski's Romski Boji. Past collaborations and projects include Edessa, Tzvetanka Varimezova, the Italian Balkan/Jazz project Opa Cupa with members of Fishtank Ensemble, and KITKA (www.kitka.org). Eva is also a well-known singing teacher both in New York City and internationally, at camps, workshops and festivals.
With a foundation in classical voice, Aurelia Shrenker has sung traditional music from around the world from the time she was thirteen. Originally from Massachusetts and Northern Vermont, Aurelia has traveled extensively worldwide, both on her own sojourns and with Vermont-based touring ensemble Northern Harmony. Aurelia has studied Georgian music for nine years and has visited the country on numerous occasions as a musician, volunteer, and tour-guide. A former student of ethnomusicology at UCLA, Aurelia currently lives in Brooklyn where she she performs with Æ. She will graduate in May 2010 with a B.A. from NYU's Gallatin School with a concentration in Pedagogy, Literacy and Orality.
for more information, please contact the duo here: aesings@gmail.com
www.aesings.com
www.myspace.com/aesings (links to youtube videos, tour dates)
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