Kara (British band)

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KARA
Background information
OriginUK/ Russia
GenresAcoustic folk
Years active2013–2017
Past membersDaria Kulesh (lead vocals), Ben Honey (guitar), Gary Holbrook (accordion), Phil Underwood (melodeon, vocals), Pete Morton (guitar, vocals), Kate Rouse (hammered dulcimer, vocals).
WebsiteKara

Kara were a folk music group from Hertfordshire, England, whose music has been called "spirited acoustic folk with a Russian twist".[1] Their debut album, Waters So Deep, was acclaimed by The Daily Telegraph.

Personnel[edit]

The latest line-up members were Daria Kulesh (lead vocals), Phil Underwood (melodeon, vocals), Pete Morton (guitar, vocals) and Kate Rouse (hammered dulcimer, vocals).[2] Kara's lead vocalist, Daria Kulesh, was born in Russia.[3] She has been described as "always deliver[ing] lyrics that expose untainted sincerity with a voice that pours out their spirit".[4]

Albums[edit]

Waters So Deep[edit]

Kara's debut album, Waters So Deep, produced by Jason Emberton and released on 1 July 2014, was one of The Daily Telegraph 's ten folk music highlights for autumn 2014.[5] The Telegraph's reviewer, Martin Chilton, described it as "an interesting debut" with "impressive energy", and said that the album incorporates influences from Russia, England, Ireland and France.[5] Rebekah Foard, for Bright Young Folk, said that many of the songs on the album "explore belief, spirituality and temptation, often giving the tracks a deeply mythical feel. The main influences are Russian and British folk traditions but tracks such as In Lille – where French context is teamed with a beautiful Venezuelan Waltz – highlight the international flavour of the band’s music".[6] Dai Jeffries, for Folking.com, described the album's sound as "decidedly pan-European".[7]

Some Other Shore[edit]

Their second album, Some other Shore, was released on 3 June 2016. Also produced by Jason Emberton, it includes contributions from James Delarre on fiddle and Lukas Drinkwater on double bass.[8] Andy McMillan, reviewing it for Bright Young Folk, described it as "an exceptionally fine and enjoyable album full of contrasts and carefully crafted and delivered".[9]

Daria Kulesh
BornRussia
OriginUK/ Russia
Genressinger-songwriter
Instrument(s)vocal
Years active2014–present
LabelsFolkstock Records
WebsiteDaria Kulesh

Eternal Child[edit]

Daria Kulesh released her solo debut album, Eternal Child, on 31 January 2015.[10] It was produced by Ben Walker. He plays piano, accordion, ukulele, keyboards, bass, guitar and mandolin on the album, which also features Kate Rouse, Kaity Rae, Luke Jackson and Charlie Deakin Davies.[11][12]

Eternal Child was Blues and Roots Radio's Album of the Week on 24 January 2015,[13] one of Paul Mansell's albums of the week on Radio Marlow FM 97.5[14] and Album of the Month for January 2015 on FolkWords.[15] Reviewing the album for Folking.com, Dai Jeffries described Daria Kulesh's debut as very different from another Kara album – "ten original songs that are largely autobiographical... Daria writes strong melodies to go with her crystal clear voice and I wonder how much the music of her Russian childhood influences them. The result, however, is an album that rewards repeated listening."[11] Pete Bradley, reviewing Eternal Child for FATEA Records, described it as "a phenomenal debut album".[12] Tim Carroll, for FolkWords, said it was "possibly the most raw and unashamedly revealing collection of songs I’ve heard in a long while...Daria uses these songs to explore acute moments in her life-documentary from the unique perspective of guileless innocence born into all children".[4] "Letting Go", a single from the album, was released in May 2014.[16] It is described as "a bittersweet, haunting track" about her Canadian ex-sweetheart.[16]

Long Lost Home[edit]

On 23 February 2017, Daria Kulesh launched a second album, Long Lost Home, which has won multiple awards, including LCM Album of the Year. fRoots described is as "Bold, exotic, impressive... literate original songs powerfully sung".[17] Long Lost Home has enjoyed national radio play and reviews calling it a "triumph", a "masterpiece" and "a definite contender for the best album of 2017". Mike Harding praised the Moon and the Pilot as "one of the most beautiful new songs of the last ten years". The album's title refers to Ingushetia in the Caucasus, which was the ancestral home of Daria's grandmother.[18]

Discography[edit]

Kara[edit]

Album Label Release date
Waters So Deep own label 13 July 2014
Some Other Shore own label 3 June 2016

Daria Kulesh[edit]

Album Label Release date
Eternal Child Folkstock Records 31 January 2015
Long Lost Home own label 23 February 2017
Single Label Release date
"Letting Go" Folkstock Records May 2014

References[edit]

  1. ^ "KARA Spirited acoustic folk with a Russian twist..." TwickFolk. February 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  2. ^ Walker, Ella (19 February 2015). "Best of the rest: Trio Da Kali, folk and dance". Cambridge News. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  3. ^ Moorhead, Rosie (30 November 2014). "Kings Langley band KARA makes The Telegraph's Top 10 folk albums of the year". Wanstead and Woodford Guardian. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  4. ^ a b Carroll, Tim (7 January 2015). "'Eternal Child' by Daria Kulesh "...powerful and intensely direct narratives"". FolkWords Reviews. Folk Words. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  5. ^ a b Chilton, Martin (20 October 2014). "10 folk music highlights for autumn 2014". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  6. ^ Foard, Rebekah (2014). "Waters So Deep". Bright Young Folk. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  7. ^ Jeffries, Dai (16 October 2014). "KARA – Waters So Deep". CD reviews. folking.com. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  8. ^ Davies, Mike (2016). "KARA – Some Other Shore (Self-Released)". folking.com. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  9. ^ McMillan, Andy (2016). "KARA – Some Other Shore". Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  10. ^ Moorhead, Rosie (30 January 2015). "Daria Kulesh launches her debut solo album, Eternal Child, with a special night at the Old Town Hall in Hemel Hempstead". Watford Observer. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  11. ^ a b Jeffries, Dai (5 January 2015). "Daria Kulesh – Eternal Child (Folkstock)". CD reviews. folking.com. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  12. ^ a b Bradley, Pete (2015). "Daria Kulesh Eternal Child". Reviews. FATEA Records. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  13. ^ "Daria Kulesh: Eternal Child". Album of the Week. Blues and Roots Radio. 24 January 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  14. ^ "Previous records of the week". Paul Mansell's Albums of the week. Marlow FM. 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  15. ^ "January 2015 Album of the Month: 'Eternal Child' from Daria Kulesh". Album of the Month Archive. FolkWords. January 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  16. ^ a b Sonic Bandwagon (18 May 2014). "Daria Kulesh releases single "Letting Go" – produced by Ben Walker". Latest news. Sonic Bandwagon. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  17. ^ "Reviews". fRoots. March 2017. Archived from the original on 4 August 2008. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  18. ^ Jeffries, Dai (2017). "DARIA KULESH – Long Lost Home (own label)". Retrieved 7 May 2017.

External links[edit]

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