Kuné – Universal Echoes (LulaWorld, 2023)
Oil spills, deforestation, illegal mining: these extractive activities have been devastating the Amazon rainforest. “Earth,” part of the “Elements Suite” in Kuné’s new album Universal Echoes (LulaWorld Records), starts with a lamentation for the destruction of the world’s largest forest and its indigenous stewards.
Droughts caused by climate change are transforming once rich agricultural lands in the Middle East into deserts; which is addressed in this suite. Similarly, “Water” speaks to the drying up of rivers including the Euphrates, which crosses Turkey, Iraq, and Syria.
Born and raised in different parts of the world, the lives of the eleven members of Canada’s Global Orchestra, Kuné, have all been affected by climate change. Whether it is displacement caused by wars or sickness from pollution, all of our lives have been touched by these crises. Making colorful, evocative, exquisite, and enchanting world music together is how Kuné copes and responds to these calamities.
Universal Echoes is a testament to the power of a pluralistic vision of the future, in which innovative, cross-cultural responses come from a deep commitment to traditional culture and an openness to dialog and transformation.
Kuné is an eleven-piece collective comprised of ten immigrant musicians from various parts of the world and one Metis-Canadian member. Based in Toronto, one of the world’s most diverse cities, Kuné’s artistic practice revolves around capturing and recreating the multicultural experience of living there. The musicians hail from countries such as Iraq, Cuba, Peru, Burkina Faso, and China, and play instruments not commonly seen together on stage, such as the tar, dizi, cajón, and ngoni. Kuné serves as a space for remembering and celebrating their cultural roots while fostering connections through curiosity, experimentation, and dialog.
Formed at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto in 2016, Kuné initially aimed to present the talents of immigrant musicians and create a respectful musical dialog combing different traditions. Following a successful debut at Koerner Hall, the collective gained attention from various presenters, leading to performances at festivals like Sunfest, Hillside, and Ness Creek in Canada, as well as collaborations with symphonies like the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. In 2018, Kuné released their first album under Universal Music Canada after recording it at the Banff Center for the Arts.
In 2019, Kuné embarked on their first international tour in the USA, performing at venues such as DROM in New York City, as well as in Utah, Maine, and Pennsylvania. During this time, they developed a suite of four compositions called Universal Echoes, incorporating new material created collaboratively within the group, along with visual contributions from indigenous artists Jason Baerg and Santee Smith. They also had the opportunity to perform symphonic arrangements of their compositions alongside the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Kitchener-Waterloo Orchestra.
In 2021, Kuné transitioned into an independent collective and recorded Universal Echoes.
Musicians: Ahmed Moneka, darbuka, vocals; Aline Morales, vocals, percussion, vocals; Demetri Petsalakis, guitar & oud; Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk, violin; Dora Wang, dizi, xiao & alto flute; Lasso, vocals, jembe, ngoni, peul flute & tama; Luis Deniz, alto saxophone; Matias Recharte, drums & percussion; Paco Luviano, double bass & electric bass; Padideh Ahrarnejad, tar; and Selcuk Suna, vocals, clarinet & tenor saxophone.
Buy Universal Echoes.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.