With a vocal range that goes from g to e3 (That’s almost three octaves!) .Anna KiaRa is a pure vocal soprano with the voice of an angel “I use both resonators and I also can sing like a high mezzo-soprano, that's why a lot of people think I'm mezzo”
Originally from Kaluga, 200 km from Moscow, the moment she discovered music escapes her. “Actually I don't remember, because I have been singing since I was a child, so I`m in music for all my life :). But I went to musical school when I was 8.”
“I have full musical education - musical school for the 6 years (piano+choir+vocal), college for the 4 years (an opera singer and a vocal teacher) and university for the 4 years (an actress of musical theatre)”
The passion for multi instrumentation began immediately. “Well, I tried to do it from the moment I started to learn some popular songs on piano, but it was really difficult in the beginning. Same with an acoustic guitar.”
"But in a few years of practicing I understood that now I can do it. I also was playing keys and singing in my first band in Kaluga.”
“As all children I used to listen to the usual music that I heard on radio, TV and from my parents. I remember that we had a vinyl player at home. It was a lot of old USSR music and a lot of audio books which I really liked. Then I started to listen to radio, and I have listened to a lot of popular Russian music. And one day, when I was 12 or 13y.o. I was watching TV and saw Queen at Wembley show`86, and this was so cool for me! That`s how I discovered rock music. Since that moment I started to learn The Show Must Go On song, and started to listen to other rock, and then, metal music.”
Inspiration is drawn from the earth “Nature. My fans know that when I go to my countryside (actually it`s my parents` countryside) near Kaluga, I take tons of photos with flowers, trees, sky, my cat, etc. I also really like astronomy, I have a telescope in the same countryside and I`m really inspired by these things. Of course I like books (mostly fantasy), and a lot of arts (theatre, movies), but it`s all created by humans, so it`s not as complete as nature.”
Most noted for her group efforts, Anna’s solo projects offers to be very different. “It`s very important for every artist to create his own music if he feels to do it. Because in your music you`re free to express yourself and show to the world who you are. This is the difference. In my solo project I do everything like I want, like I feel. Of course it doesn't mean that I don't like to sing on the other bands or projects, or that I will leave them all because I started my own, no.”
But for me it`s like a new level. Like in some computer game, you know :)
“In my project I`m free to do what I want. If I feel that I want to compose a folk song – so be it. I don`t want to restrict myself. I mostly compose in the symphonic metal genre, but if I would like to compose folk, pop, acoustic or even death metal song, why not?”
The timing for a solo project is a personal one. “The only one reason - I started to write music because I couldn`t not to start anymore. This is the main reason for creating any art project in my opinion.”
Anna’s positive energy is vital to her music. “Sure! You can't create anything when you feel depressed (ok, sometimes you can, but it will be very dark and depression art)! That`s why I try to see the good sides of life. The energy is everywhere around us, and I believe that there are a lot of mystical things that we can`t see, but sometimes can feel - like presentiments, dreams, energy and all of this. I believe in some esoteric stuff, that`s why I think it`s very important to accumulate good energy from the inside.”
This did not limit her to the time to create her album. ‘If you mean the time limit for composing a song - no, I don`t have it. Sometimes the song comes very quickly, sometimes you write a melody and then wait for weeks until the rest of the song will come.
Anna’s debut solo album is titled Storyteller. However it is not a concept album.
“No, but it will be a story behind every song, that`s why I choose this name for the album. I will (do) a video for every song when I`ll tell about every song`s story.” The style is in her symphonic metal output. “Yes, mostly symphonic metal, but one song - "Viking" - will be more folk”.
Due August 3 2020 the album is funded completely by a crowdfunding campaign that took Anna by Surprise. “Very well! To be honest, I didn't expect such huge support, because we hit the goal of 1000 euros in less than two weeks! I`m truly grateful to everyone who made a donation! If someone feels like he`s late to do it - don`t worry, the campaign is still available ;) I was really afraid when I started that there will be not so many people that care about my solo music, but I`m happy I was wrong!
“I plan to release the album and to make distribution in different countries. Then, of course, to make some real shows. But it`s still a question for me if I will do it in Europe in the near future, because I have a lot of work in other projects and it`s a question of organization for my solo shows as well. I don`t want to do all the organization myself, but I also need a good offer for it, because I already can let myself wait for good terms.”
The Russian scene is very unique which poses its own challenges. “I can say that it`s very local. Especially in metal music. There are a lot of problems of metal in Russia, and first of all that it`s not a very popular genre, that`s why we don`t have good venues for it. Even in Moscow it`s not so much good stages where it`s possible to play a good metal show (I`m talking about a middle venues, not stadiums for example). The other problem is that Russian people mostly prefer bands singing on Russian, because they (mostly) know English not so well. Another one problem - we don`t have good concert metal organization, it`s mostly exist because of enthusiasm of people who likes metal (and also it`s not profitably to be a metal promoter here). So, as you see, to be a metal musician here it`s very problematic.”
And her favourite 6?”To be honest, I listen to albums very rarely (I know, it`s strange, but..). I mostly listen to a lot of songs of the band which I like, but from different albums, and create my playlist. I can`t name 6 albums, but some I can
Nightwish - Wishmaster
Kamelot - Karma, The Black Halo
Scorpions - Humanity
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