| CelticFest Vancouver: Hernandez sisters driven by their passion for Traditional Music IVONNE Hernandez has yet to find somebody who doesn't like traditional music. However, eventually they set out on their own respective paths and while in 2009 they released twin fiddle album Sisters, they now primarily work on their own projects. "She's got the East Coast covered and I guess I take the West Coast," laughs Kalissa. Ivonne and her sister Kalissa Hernandez, 23, who is likewise a talented fiddler, singer and step dancer, grew up immersed in the genre, drawing from both their Canadian and Chilean roots. Now adults, they're professional recording artists and have embarked on two separate, yet parallel, career paths. Both are driven by a passion for the music, a need to create and a strong interest in the exploration of different musical genres and collaborations with other musicians. , home and Kalissa, Vancouver - their shared roots offer a continued source of support, encouragement and understanding. Both women are featured performers at the eighth annual CelticFest Vancouver, set for March 10-18. "My whole life I've played classical and fiddle so I've always wanted to combine the two in some form," says Ivonne. A string quartet format, the group is comprised of Ivonne and fellow Canadians Trent Freeman (Comox) and Karrnnel Sawitsky (Saskatoon, Sask. , including a stop in Vancouver. At CelticFest, Ivonne will be playing with Walsh, a longtime collaborator. The Paperboys are working on a brand new album, set for release in time for a fall tour in Germany, and Locarno is gearing up for a packed summer music festival circuit. "I've been very, very lucky in my 23 years," says Kalissa. Crowds have been very good to me. The encores, they really give you a boost and make you remember that you've got the luckiest job in the world. For the last year and a half she's also been playing some shows with legendary American fiddle player Mark O'Connor. ". They've just completed their debut album, Waterbound, and its official release tour will kick off in June, bringing them to B. "I've gotten to do a bunch of stuff with them last year as well," says Ivonne. Patrick's Day Parade, kicking off at Drake and Howe streets in downtown Vancouver, Sunday, March 18 at 11 a. Ivonne and Kalissa have a number of performances scheduled over the course of the festival. Kalissa is set to take the stage as part of the home band at From Texas to Tipperary, featuring a variety of songwriters, including Jim Byrnes, SteveDawson and Babe Gurr, March 15 at the Edgewater Casino at 8 p. "It's been so amazing to play legendary venues in Vancouver," says Kalissa, adding The Starbirds opened for Spirit of the West at last year's CelticFest, at the Vogue Theatre. "That in itself was amazing. They released an album last year, entitled Live Off The Floor. "I just loved it and took to that and I just never looked back," says Ivonne. I feel like everyone feels something when they hear it and has a quick positive reaction to the music. Ivonne moved to Boston five years ago and completed a dual major in violin performance and music business and management at the Berklee College of Music. From April to June, Ivonne will tour the United States and the United Kingdom with The Outside Track, filling in for fiddle player Mairi Rankin, a member of the famous Cape Breton family, who's unable to make the tour. CelticFest Vancouver: Hernandez sisters driven by their passion for Traditional Music |
Saturday, 10 March 2012
CelticFest Vancouver: Hernandez sisters driven by their passion for Traditional Music
