CANADA COURIER: Winnipeg to the world (12/01/96)

CANADA COURIER

by Christopher Guly

Winnipeg to the world

While the Ukrainian lyrics might limit understanding of what the words mean, blending medieval chant with African congas, Northumbrian pipes, jazz viola and the bandura is bound to appeal to many musical tastes.

That's what Winnipeg vocalist Alexis Kochan is counting on after releasing her latest album, titled "Paris to Kyiv Variances," in late November. The recording is a follow-up to a 1994 recording in which the Ukrainian Canadian singer teamed up with a group of musicians to produce a West-meets-East world music sound.

Collaborating with Ms. Kochan on this project are Julian Kytasty on vocals, bandura and sopilka; Martin Colledge on cittern and pipes; Richard Moody on viola; Henry Zacharias on udu drum, dumbek and buffalo drum; and Evans Coffie (from Ghana) on congas and djembe. The gifted Danny Schur recorded and mixed the production.

Finding a niche in record stores has been a project in itself. "My music is really in the slots and cracks," says Ms. Kochan. Inevitably, store managers toss up the possibilities as to where to put her music. Maybe under the folk music category, perhaps in world music or classical, or maybe Ukrainian traditional. All would apply.

But finding a label for Ms. Kochan is another thing. Many have compared her to Canadian mystical musical enchantress Loreena McKennitt, which makes some sense. Both produce medieval sounds and both have a fierce business acumen.

Ms. McKennitt is, for all intents and purpose, one of the most unique and talented performing artists Canada has ever produced. So is Ms. Kochan - though fewer people know of her.

While Ms. McKennitt has a fairy-like tone to her vocal interpretations, Ms. Kochan has a throatier delivery - not unlike some of the great Ukrainian vocalists past and present. But don't relegate her to church basements. This performer is an unchained woman.

In many ways, she has outgrown the clique of the community which often, as a group, finds solace in fitting someone into a niche. Fat chance they will be able to with Ms. Kochan. For the 43-year-old artist, who worked with learning disabled children as a behavioral psychologist earlier in her career, Paris to Kyiv is more than a project in which ancient Ukrainian ritual songs are accompanied by buffalo drums.

In the process, she also hopes to de-stereotype Ukrainian cultural traditions - long relegated to pysanky and colorfully clad dancers. "I think ethnicity itself has to be re-defined," she recently told this writer over the telephone from her home in Winnipeg.

"We're living in a global village where all cultures are blending, and each culture is unique. For Ukrainians, it's more than just perogies. It's just like when you go to Italy and Tuscany, where there is some of the finest cuisine in the world, you don't eat pizza."

With her first two albums, which also includes "Czarivna" a collaboration with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra's illustrious concertmaster, Arthur Polson - Ms. Kochan has sold about 10,000 copies. Not bad for a performing artist who has to fight intransigence from within and stereotyping from the outside.

This time, maybe, a gold record will come her way. Or even Canada's equivalent to the Grammys, the Junos, with a nod, or at least a nomination, in its folk or world music categories. With all the trade and partnership missions being signed between Canada and Ukraine, Ms. Kochan has made the link, musically, reaching far beyond that geographical corridor without leaving Winnipeg.

With "Variances," Kyiv may become again the Eastern cultural capital and Slavic Parisian equivalent. Ms. Kochan may prove to be its greatest ambassador.