Stepanida Borisova ‎– Vocal Evocations Of Sakha-Yakutia, Siberia. (1)

Stepanida Borisova is a singer and actress at the Sakha Theatre in Yakutsk, the capital of the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia, Siberia. Well-known as a singer and master of the lyrical improvisation, tojuk, an improvised style based on the traditional epic storytelling genre of olonkho, and algys, a blessing genre. Tojuk has two main styles, dierettii yrya sung in a melismatic and flowing manner, and degeren yrya, rhythmic, measured singing; both styles use kylsakhs glottal ornaments. She is both expert at Soviet-era Sakha repertoire and a champion of the archaic, improvised and spiritual language of olonkho and shamanic singing. On this album, Stepanida couples a full olonkho episode to folksongs, modern songs and improvisations, performing both solo and with Jon Dobie (guitar) and Asaf Sirkis (drums).

Sleeve notes by Stepanida Borisova, Misha Maltsev & Keith Howard. Translations by Misha Maltsev

Produced by Misha Maltsev & Keith Howard

Recorded & mastered by Jerry Glasgow at SOAS, London, October 2006 & June 2007

Photographs by Glenn Ratcliffe, Keith Howard & Misha Maltsev
Sponsored by AHRC Research Centre for Cross-Cultural Music and Dance Performance

Publication Date: January 2008