Soundstreams has announced the Grandma’s Shawl as the final performance of its 2023/24 season. The concert presents a musical journey that was inspired by the connections between Indigenous and Ukrainian immigrant women in Canada and the iconic Kokum shawl.
Natalya Gennadi, winner of Soundstreams’ annual New Voices Curator Mentorship program, curates and directs the performance, which takes place on May 4.
Natalya Gennadi, soprano, and Kristine Dandavino, mezzo, narrate the story, accompanied by Jo Greenaway (piano) and Oleksandra Fedyshyn (violin). It features the music of Ukrainian artists Stefania Turkevych, Lesia Dychko, Oleksandra Fedyshyn and Alla Zagaykevych, and Canadian composers Kristine Dandavino, Anna Pidgorna, Ian Cusson, and Andrew Balfour.
We asked a few questions of Natalya (NG) and mezzo, collaborator and featured composer Kristine Dandavino (KD) about the production.
The Q&A
LvT: How did this story and project come together? It sounds like there is a story of discovery in this connection between Ukrainian and Indigenous women — it’s certainly not common knowledge.
NG: Last year I was an artist in Civic Engagement Residence with Pacific Opera Victoria where our director and mentor Rebecca Haas introduced us to several Indigenous community leaders. We got to learn so much and, most importantly, hear their stories. This is when I started realising that there are a lot of similarities and unexpected parallels between the Indigenous and Ukrainian cultures and even historical paths.
One of my projects at POV called for a collaboration with Irish Cree multimedia artist Nathalie Rollins and in the process of creating it I heard the stories of Kokum shawls. Originally Ukrainian khustkas — headscarves — were given as a symbol of neighbourly gratitude to Indigenous peoples, such as the Cree, and quickly became a traditional piece that everyone, not only kokums (grandmas) would wear, a style that continues in modern day. After further research I’ve learned about the particular struggles that the first Ukrainian settlers faced in Canada at the beginning of the 20th century, and how Indigenous communities offered support.
I know that it inspired many artists in the past but for me it is an intimate look into immigration, motherhood and friendship.
KD: Natalya called me to describe her idea of the vision for Grandma’s Shawl. She asked me if I knew the story. I explained that I had heard of it but wasn’t sure about all the details. I was aware of Indigenous people being welcoming and kind to other cultures.
LvT: How were the works that are featured in the concert chosen? (And please add any details you’d like to highlight about the musical works.)
NG: For years now I have been trying to discover Ukrainian music that is not from the Soviet-approved mainstream repertoire. The thing is, for years Ukrainian music was presented as folksy and one-dimensional, however, there is a vast expanse of works that offer an endless variety of styles and genres!
So, on the Ukrainian side I’ve picked works by female composers of the 20th century: Stehania Turkevych — the first female PhD in composition, Lesya Dychko, who was knighted, Alla Zagaykvych, one of the most prolific audio-visual composers of modern Ukraine, Anna Pidgorna — fellow Ukrainian Canadian and a highly successful multi-genre composer. For the Indigenous musical half we have Ian Cusson (Métis), whom to myself I call our Canadian Mozart because of his tireless dedication to melody and kindness to singers. Award-winning Cree composer Jessica McMann; Métis composer and pianist Jesse Plessis, and, of course Andrew Balfour with his glorious Vision Chant. Moreover, both Kristine and Oleksandra are strong composers, bringing their works, and it is such a privilege to hear these pieces sing through their creators’ voices, to hear their personal stories. Kristine is finishing her first opera and we get a chance to hear an excerpt as a world premiere.
KD: To be honest, Natalya did the bulk of the work. Personally, I was bold and asked her if we could feature my composition “Pie Jesu” from my chamber opera Kanti. Also, I discovered The Water Song that was composed for the late Chief Comanda who was the Chief for my community Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg. I was thrilled to discover this work.
LvT: Along with a story centering women, you are also celebrating handwork such as embroidery and textiles, which are typically associated with women. How important is it to acknowledge this part of history (and social history), a side that is still neglected by popular media?
NG: Kokum shawls are colourful cuts of fabric that carry on so many traditions and memories, you can’t sing about these stories without having something tangible, tactile. Grandma’s Shawl is meant to invoke a feeling of your favourite homemade garment – it is linen, it is comforting, breathing and warm from a human touch. Just like your mother and grandmother used to sew. I am building two costumes for Kristine and me that are symbolic reflections of the traditional clothing of our people, they are different but alike at the same time.
And, most importantly, the show features two other characters — figures of women embroidered and beaded by the visual artists. We are incredibly lucky to collaborate with a Ukrainian award-winning designer and textile historian Tetyana Znak who created the images in authentic Ukrainian style. The Algonquin art-inspired beaded figures were digitally built by permission from the works of Cassandra Tolley who stepped in at the last moment and offered her expertise.
KD: As a child, I was spoiled, my mother was a gifted dressmaker and quilter. All my outfits were custom designed. I miss those days! Natalya has taken over costumes and we are blessed with her skills!
LvT: Would you agree that the combination of music and song is often the best way to convey the emotion of a story like this one — emotions that can be subtle and gentle as well as intense?
NG: Yes, and… I am a very visual person and very often I “see” the story of a song unfold in my mind. Sometimes, often really, I have a feeling that the song has more to it than the text and melody alone, so I am very grateful for the opportunity to be more expressive with other media.
KD: In the end, I believe any artistic medium is suited to share stories. These stories need to be told, shared, and experienced. I encourage any Indigenous artist to share their stories through any art medium that resonates with them.
LvT: What details can you tell us about the multimedia elements you mention — animated embroidery, visuals, and so on?
NG: The show offers an array of videos — a collection of impressions, memories, associations and hidden stories. I am combining original and stock footage, news clips, archival images and even the now-accessible paintings by Emily Carr and Lauren Harris. As an emerging multimedia artist and a linguist by first degree, I am experimenting and searching for my creative voice but I definitely love playing with text becoming the visual component, the meta message.
Some things are quite personal — like faint videos of Kherson Region after the Russian army destroyed the Kakhovka dam (I unofficially dedicated it to Anna Pidgorna — a Kherson native), or a cityline of my hometown of Sevastopol playing the role of a distant memory. Some are provocative with a hint of sarcasm like the Star Wars meets produce for Ian Cusson’s Breakfast for Barbarians. It’s hard to explain what’s happening without sounding bizarre or giving out spoilers.
I am using animation for the embroidered / beaded characters since they become our alter egos on screens. This part was particularly challenging since, although I have some experience, I haven’t worked on animation on this scale before.
We are also bringing in an element of an interactive video — something I’ve been researching since I’ve seen multiple applications of it in Europe: I’d say I am just testing the waters but there is a vast potential for this kind of visual / sound interaction in live performances no matter what genre we are in.
Not a visual element, but we have a virtual choir! We needed a sound of community and that is when tenor Andrew Haji and baritone Gregory Dahl stepped in and lended their voices.
LvT: Is there anything else you want to share about Grandma’s Shawl?
N.G: My gratitude. Beyond the fact that New Voices is a mentorship program with Soundstreams where I got to work and learn side by side with some of the most inspirational art creators, I get to tell a story that somehow is also a story of many women, and many newcomers, no matter where they find themselves. There is hope and kindness in this show. And friendship! Kristine and I have been very close friends for years, and I always love working with Jo Greenaway and Oleksandra Fedyshyn.
KD: More than ever, our world needs storytellers to help us heal from the current mental health crisis. We are living in a disconnected world. The arts bring us together, to help us understand our human experience. We need each other. We cannot continue this “me-myself-and-I” mindset. We are one with our environment. The bees and the trees are just as important as my existence.
Show & Pre-Show Details
Women’s Voices as Cultural Keepers: TD Encounters | April 30
A Prelude to Grandma’s Shawl
Women’s Voices as Cultural Keepers, a free Soundstreams TD Encounters event, takes place on April 30 at 7:30 p.m. at Hugh’s Room.
This evening will spotlight women and female vocal traditions spanning North America and Europe, including performances revolving sround Algonquin, Swedish, and Ukrainian folk traditions. Performers include Kristine Dandavino (mezzo), Elena Howard-Scott (soprano), Ella Farlinger (soprano), Xin Wang (soprano), and Ryan Scott (percussion).
Along with the music, there will be a discussion of the role women play in preserving musical and cultural identities, along with an audience Q&A. Reserve tickets for the pre-show [HERE].
- Grandma’s Shawl takes place on May 4 at 7:30 p.m. at the Redwood Theatre; more details and tickets available [HERE]
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