Today marks release day for a very special artist, who just recently joined the Greedy family. Victoria Hanna is nothing short of a phenomenon, a painter in sound and a master of language. As she explores the boundaries of the human voices, moving between ancient music and contemporary beats, between philosophical and religious texts, her compositions are shaped by diverse vocal techniques, both sung and spoken.
Her self-entitled debut album then speaks volumes, featuring ten songs entirely her own and ranging from Kabbalistic rap to Aramaic hiphop and Israeli pop. Raised in an orthodox family and impaired by a stutter, Victoria Hanna embarked on an inner journey to explore the mouth as creator, which became the inspirational and emotional journey of her life.
"I come from a religious family in Jerusalem, where women were not permitted to sing in front of men. It wasn't considered modest. But my voice broke out of me, it was stronger than I was. I struggled with this for years. Something inside me believed that I was sinning. Today, I sing throughout the world – texts from the Kabbalistic tradition that were once the exclusive 'property' of men. I honour these texts, and attempt to convey them with love and respect," she explains.
"Victoria Hanna" the album is divided into two sections, two worlds she explores, namely voice and speech. Voice as being abstract, free in space and speech as something concrete, conceptual and rhythmic: "Victoria and Hanna are my two grandmothers, after whom I am named. They were both married as girls, against their will. Victoria – rebelled, stood up for herself, had a courageous heart and was revolutionary for me. Hanna – was withdrawn, served, surrendered and was my home and my heart. Part 1: Victoria – focusses on the power of speech and breaking it down into its component letters. This part of the album is rhythmic, danceable, for the night hours and is produced by Tamir Muskat (Balkan Beat Box). Part 2: Hanna – focusses on the voice that breaks through, the voice that calls. This part is melodic, music for the wee-hours. It was produced by sound artist Frank van der Weij."
You can listen to the full album via the SoundCloud player above or buy/stream it here. You might also want to check out this year's Elsewhere interview from WOMAD or watch another nice piece by YLE Finland below.