 |
 PRESS, PROMO &
REVIEWS
New Sounds: 2islandgirls
Vue Weekly, Week of May 7, 2009,
Issue #707
Maria Kotovych / maria@vueweekly.com
Kay and Kathy DaSilva's roots are showing. The Barbados-raised sisters, despite having lived in Canada for over
20 years, infuse their album with the sounds of their island home. And whether they're singing pop-style ballads
such as "Dance With Me" or performing a full-out calypso, the ladies fill their music with passion and
warmth. The album mixes up the upbeat traditional calypsos with the slower love songs, providing a pleasing combination,
yet avoiding a clichéd presentation of modern Caribbean musical styles. And as much as I do enjoy the calypsos,
I would call "Dance With Me" my favourite track on this disc-the strong vocals fully expose the heart
behind the song. And the singing, vulnerable as it is being on full display, matches that vulnerability with equal
parts honesty. V
2islandgirls
2islandgirls (Independent)
No island cliches for 2islandgirls
City sisters reflect non-tourist face of
Barbados
ROGER LEVESQUE
Special to the Journal, EDMONTON
...You may want to throw your preconceptions out the window when you sit down to
listen to the Barbados-born, Edmonton-based sister act known as 2islandgirls.
..."I guess we're a bit of an enigma," laughs Kathy DaSilva, guitarist
and chief songwriter.
...Her sister, Kay DaSilva, handles lead vocals and shares writing credits on the
duo's self-titled debut CD, which is being released this week.
...The cover art for 2islandgirls features a beautiful underwater photo of the sea
life around Barbados. The sisters market themselves as "world music," but that can be a subjective term.
...Their father was a professional calypsonian (calypso singer) on the island before
they were educated in England and eventually relocated to Canada 24 years ago. Kathy says that when most folks
hear about their island background, they usually expect them to be dark-skinned, while they're actually Caucasion
of Anglo extraction... Click
HERE for full review
2islandgirls CD release concert
Anna Borowiecki - St.Albert Gazette
People usually blink twice when learning
that sisters Kay and Kathy DaSilva, were born and raised in Barbados. No one likes to believe they are stereotyping
race. "Everyone expects musicians from Barbados to be black," laughs the light skinned Kathy, the elder
of the two by one year. The DaSilvas, a.k.a. 2islandgirls, are releasing their first self-entitled album at a concert
this Wednesday April 29 at the Winspear Centre. While Kay's pure voice carries the vocals, Kathy is an exciting
multi-instrumentalist. With the addition of the Edmonton Metropolitan Chorus' 60 voices singing in the choir loft,
it promises to be quite an extravaganza. "When you're in your forties and you're putting out your first CD,
you either go big or go home."
Each of the 14 tracks is different in style from romantic ballads to techno dance tracks. Yet, each song is scented
with memories from the Caribbean - steel pan bands, tall swaying palm trees, white sandy beaches and cerulean waters.
In sifting through 30 years of songwriting, the DaSilva's left it up to St.Albert's Gord Matthews to tweak and
arrange each tune. Kathy has nothing but gushing praise for his expertise that melded mandolin with reggae, Caribbean
with acoustic country. His 'magical arrangements add so much to our music.' The DaSilvas were born in Barbados,
the children of a Guyanese musician and a mother whose British ancestors had moved to the colonies as plantation
supervisors. Kathy learned to play guitar from her father and both sisters ended up singing in Church choirs. "We
brought conga. It was very energetic." They have maintained deep roots in Barbados and are eager to share
the magic of that world. "It will be an amazing performance of great music. It's catchy and easy to move to.
And we plan to end with a dance."
|
