Mirabai Ceiba's music draws the listener into a web of delicate strings, subtle vocal play and poetic lyricism. It is easy to love this kind of music, but difficult to pin it down to a specific genre. It is world music. Chamber music. Folklore. It is devotion. But in the end, this music transcends any label that one tries to put on it, and the only description that remains is 'beautiful'. In Mirabai Ceiba's duet, we hear the play of love between two gifted musicians and singers - Markus and Angelica, husband and wife. Together they have created a series of acclaimed, well-executed studio albums and concert recordings that immerse listeners in a shimmering world of transcendent wonder.
The idea that people of all nations are united in Spirit is a deeply pervasive theme in Mirabai Ceiba's work. Markus and Angelica come from different parts of the world. He is from East Germany. She is of Mexican-German descent, born in Tucson, Arizona and raised in a small village near Mexico City. They met at a street fair during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which not only led to a romantic relationship, but also to a musical duo. The name Mirabai Ceiba reflects the couple's worldview. Mirabai (1490-1547) was a legendary Hindu singer. Ceiba is a sacred tree in Latin America.
Mirabai Ceiba's debut album Flores was released on Spirit Voyage Records in 2004. Their sound is intertwined with Angelica's delicate touch on the harp and piano. The couple sings mantras and chants from indigenous cultures, writes many songs in Spanish and English, and occasionally draws inspiration from a wide range of lyrical sources, such as the mystical Persian poet Rumi, and the Mexican poet and pan-Latin folk hero Nezahualcoyotl. Like the sacred tree whose name is in their title, Mirabai Ceiba's roots run deep and their branches embrace the world with musical love.
Mirabai Ceiba's artistry and notoriety has grown with each new album they have released.
Their concerts are joyful and loving moments, embodying the duo's deep belief in music as a universal language that unites all the world's peoples, cultures and traditions.
"Where language stops, music begins, it transcends all boundaries," says Markus. "We go to Argentina and sing with the people there, and two months later we are in Amsterdam, for example, and we sing the same songs, and the people communicate in a similar way and create the same feeling. It's really beautiful and inspiring."
"We want to create a space where people connect with themselves, where they can actually listen to the music while they are inside themselves," adds Angelika. "A space where everyone feels welcome and embraced, recognising their common humanity. A space where connections can be made from heart to heart, despite all the possible differences that govern us in society. Music can then become a thread that leads us to a silent space within, from which it is good to be, to listen, to create, to connect."
(text by Alan Di Perna)
On the same day there will be also a workshop with Mirabai Ceiba. Event link: https://www.facebook.com/share/TBuX81psxeq5oLPj/
You MUST present your electronic ticket for scanning upon arrival. Make sure you have your ticket and download it before the concert starts.
