TANYA EKANAYAKA (b. 1977)
TWELVE PIANO PRISMS
‘The twelve prisms in this album evolved between 2016 and 2017 and correspond to the twelve primary notes of the keyboard. They are independent yet also connected structurally and stylistically. As such, they lend themselves to being joined together in any combination with improvised connecting motifs to form new works. While autobiographical, the prisms blend adaptations of traditional melodies of my homeland Sri Lanka and countries I have been associated with musically. The term prism is intended to reflect the manner in which sounds stemming from diverse cultures, eras and the very core of my being, meld, transform and refract through the piano to emerge as new narratives.’
– Tanya Ekanayaka
(b. 1977)
About this Recording
Tanya Ekanayaka’s compositions represent novel and invigorating musical genres involving reinventions of Sri Lankan melodies belonging to a wide range of ancient, folk and popular music traditions and more recently, adaptations of traditional melodies of other countries with which she has been associated musically. Her compositions which she describes as ‘deeply autobiographical’ are influenced by her multifaceted background, multilingualism, ambidexterity and partial colour synaesthesia. Her works have been featured on numerous international media and are often the first by any Sri Lankan composer to be performed at international venues.
& AN ASIAN SACRED (04:14)
TOTAL TIME: 56:09
About the Artist
Tanya Ekanayaka’s Twelve Piano Prisms extend the concept heard on her album Reinventions: Rhapsodies for Piano (GP693). They correspond to the twelve primary notes of the keyboard, and combine Sri Lankan melodies with music from other countries in a deeply personal representation of diverse cultures; their style inspired not only by a rich heritage of Western classical and indigenous world music, but also by pop, rock and film music.
performing their own compositions for piano
More Grand Piano Overtone Recordings
– American Record Guide
