A trio of artists from around the world will be performing in Alaska over the next week. They’ll be in Petersburg at the Wright Auditorium November 1. The musicians are part of Lyric and Spirit, an ongoing project showcasing female voices. As KFSK’s Hannah Flor reports, the traveling trio is blending their inspirations to create new unique sounds.
This year Lyric and Spirit features three musicians. Lenna Bahule is from Mozambique, and often accompanies herself on percussion as she sings. Luísa Lacerda is from Brazil. She sings and plays classical guitar. And Varijashree Venugopal is a singer and flutist from India.
The trio has been performing in the Pacific Northwest, traveling between gigs by van. I caught up with the group as they were driving to Washington from a concert in Oregon, the first part of a tour that will end in Alaska. They said they’ve been singing together while they’re on the road. Bahule sometimes accompanies the singing with body percussion.
The musicians have only known each other for about a week, but they connected immediately over shared musical interests. Varijashree Venugopal said that “coming from India, I have been a crazy fan of Brazilian music.”
“I have been trying to study, learn, enjoy, appreciate, and apply some of it into my own [music],” she said.
She said that as the group plays together, they’ve been doing a lot of listening, trying to pick out elements to incorporate into new pieces.
“It’s just been a great learning curve for us. And we look forward to a lot of new sounds being born out of this inspiration,” she said.
The concert consists of four acts. Each musician will perform individually, and then the three will come together for a final act that combines their cultures and influences.
Luísa Lacerda said that their quick friendship influences their performance as well.
“It’s best for the show when people like each other on the stage,” she said. “So I feel more comfortable and happy singing with them.”
The three musicians won’t be traveling to Alaska alone – they’re joined by Bahule’s three-year-old son. That’s because Lyric and Spirit creator Brian Gore wanted to make the project kid friendly. He said he doesn’t want the artists who participate to have to choose between being a parent and an artist.
Gore has been bringing together musical acts for more than 20 years with his ongoing project International Guitar Night. He said he wants this project to highlight women’s voices.
“I found them during the many long lonely nights in the bowels of COVID where their music gave me great comfort and solace,” he said.
Next year Lyric and Spirit will have a different roster of musicians. Alaska isn’t on the tour, but it’s possible that future Lyric and Spirit groups will. Gore said his booking agent loves to work with the presenters and arts councils around Alaska.
In addition to Petersburg, the group will be performing in Valdez and Anchorage through the first week of November.
Lyric and Spirit will perform at the Wright Auditorium on Wednesday, November 1 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance at Lee’s Clothing, and $25 at the door. The event is sponsored by the Petersburg Arts Council.
