|
Diana Rowan
Diana Rowan’s unique sound reflects her unusual upbringing
– born in Ireland, she has lived in Washington D.C., Belgium,
and the Mediterranean island of Cyprus before making her permanent
home in Berkeley, California. Diana’s classical training instilled
a lifelong love of J.S. Bach and Claude Debussy, among others, which
combines with her studies of Celtic and Mediterranean/Middle Eastern
music to create a compelling, timeless, and original sound.
"Panta Rhei" is a brilliantly conceived
program, mixing the familiar and (for most of us) the exotic, shifting
from contemplative to dancelike, to romantic, from solo to ensemble,
from vocal to instrumental. Upon hearing each selection, one never
has the thought, "oh, another one of these."
Mitch Landy, Folk Harp Journal Fall 2004
Diana recently released her CD Panta Rhei to critical acclaim.
The recording melds Diana’s major influences – classical,
Celtic, and Mediterranean music – into a cohesive whole. Fans
of Savina Yannatou’s intricate arrangements, Kate Bush’s
passion, Lunasa’s drive, Loreena McKennitt’s cosmopolitanism,
and Ross Daly’s refinement will find a home in this collection
of songs.
The rich textures of folk music from Ireland,
Scotland, Greece, Cyprus, Israel and Eastern Europe weave a subtle
spell as Diana draws on contemporary as well as traditional arrangements...this
CD is a treat. At times, it floats you along on a captivating Ladino
love song (like La Rosa Enflorece) then bursts forth into a wild
Greek dance like a refreshing shot of sea spray…
Shawna Spiteri, Harpbeat Fall 2004
Bringing their considerable talents to bear on Panta Rhei, Diana’s
collaborators are:
- Peter Maund, legendary percussionist of Ensemble Alcatraz, Skyedance,
and many more,
- Sonja Drakulich (vocals) and Gari Hegedus (multi-instrumentalist),
the soul of Stellamara,
- Karl Franzen, guitarist and singer of Broceliande and others,
- Paddy League, multi-instrumentalist and accompanist to Grey
Larsen and Susan McKweon,
- James Boblak, engineer and vocalist on Panta Rhei.
Diana is currently working on several new projects with exciting
collaborators (more details to follow). She is also exploring writing
for films and documentaries – all enquiries welcome!
Additional information can be found on Diana's website: www.sirenharp.com |