Biography
OutMusic Awards Recipient
Indiegrrl Songwriting Contest winner (2 songs in the top-7)
Music to Life Foundation Top 40 Finalist
PeaceDriven Song Contest Semi-Finalist
“Innovative and glorious! You were stunning…wow I was blown away…you are a deeply gifted woman.” Linda Zeiser, concert producer
“Bobby McFerrin reminds me of you” Bodhi Goforth, house concert co-producer
Outmusic Awards Recipient for OutSong of the Year 2003, & Nominee for Outstanding Debut Recording 2005, Rose Street House of Music founder and singer-songwriter Irina Rivkin has performed for 25 years, from her childhood singing Russian folk and American Jazz in a family band, to performing her own songs for the last 12 years. She expresses insightful, gutsy, vocal world-folk originals, journeying into the personal and political, with occasional travels into Russian and Spanish language lyrics. Irina layers her poetic lyrics with rich textured harmonies, swirling with vocal percussive beats, all created live on-the-spot using her loop station instrument.
In addition, as an occasional harmony vocalist for SONiA of Disappear Fear, she sang at the biggest march in US History on 4/25/04 in Washington DC, as well as at the June 2004 Clearwater Hudson River Revival on a stage shared with Pete Seeger, Holly Near, Toshi Reagan, & Dar Williams! Irina has performed her own originals at a variety of festivals and tours, was audience-rated among the top 10 for the Susquehanna Music and Arts Festival, which also included artists such as Dar Williams & Disappear Fear.
Her full-length CD “upwelling” was released on Rose Street Records in 2004, and has received airplay on over 100 radio programs. "See Through Bush," a song from "upwelling", received repeated airplay all over the world after being chosen for the Acoustic Rainbow v.20 radio sampler (distibuted in Oct. 2004 to over 1200 radio stations). “Ya Eyo Lublu”, Irina’s OutMusic-Award-winning “Russian-émigré-lesbian-coming-out-love-song” was included on the recently-released "Safe Haven" compilation raising funds for Portland LGBTQ youth services, along with artists such as Indigo Girls, Pamela Means, Alix Olson, Ashleigh Flynn, etc.
Irina Rivkin has shared the stage with a wide variety of artists, including Ferron, Laura Love, Disappear Fear, Girlyman, Rebecca Riots, Julia Butterfly, Alix Olson, Rose Polenzani, Joules Graves, Woody Simmons, Vienna Teng, Gwen Avery, Alice Di Micele, and many others.
Irina showcased at the 2000 & 2005 Rockgrrl conferences, and was selected to became a performing member of Indiegrrl, as well as being selected for juried official showcases at Folk Alliance 2006.
Irina Rivkin combines music and community. She founded the Rose Street House of Music, a house concert & musical community bringing out women’s voices through poetic original music of substance & depth. She organized the original acapella ensemble, Making Waves, around a song she had written supporting the struggle of KPFA, a community radio station. She also created and led "Harmonic Convergence" group singing as well as "Live-Looping" workshops in a variety of locations. Rose Street Harmony Tour concerts, featuring Irina Rivkin solo or in collaboration with other Rose Street singer/songwriters, are offered at a variety of colleges, festivals, venues, house concerts and more!
“She is political, jazzy, and rhythmic...hot, harmony-rich vocals...
rhythm & sound would pass as a Russian Sweet Honey in the Rock."
Angela Page, Sing Out! Summer 2004
“beautiful lyrical melody, the added voice over of earthy harmony, and finally the texture of beatbox all performed live with the benefit of electronic looping. This feminist beatboxer poet has it all in one dynamic package." [Janie Roberts, Venue Owner, Wild Janes]
"I just wanted to thank you all so much for coming to our school...you should know that something inside of me opened up when I was there listening to you beautiful women make music and use your voices so powerfully on stage. I've been listening to your CD's like a maniac. Your music is my new medicine. So, just wanted to let you know that it's working. Take care,"
-email from a student Pacific University, Forest Grove OR, after a Rose Street on the Road concert
"Irina has an amazing gift of being able to multiply her voice right before your eyes, one singer many voices come together for an amazing sound of pure harmony...Each song is like a sand sculpture .... hauntingly beautiful, powerful, & awe-inspiring... and after each song she erases it and creates a new one!" Alma, comic & emcee
"Her voice is like a fine liquid glass ribbon. It is versatile, solid, fragile and flowing. ... Her melodies soar and swoop but still stand solid and balanced. She writes with what I imagine is a mirror and flowers in one hand, and a pen and sword in the other...Rivkin is a modern poet, protester, trailblazer and compassionate artist." [Stacey Board, Muses Muse CD Reviews]
“irina is a gift… her voice is pure and you can hear the sincerity… it is a special thing … her true soul shines through and it makes your heart smile.” [SONiA of Disappear Fear]
"When I hear Irina's music, I feel as though I am hearing the voice of our ancestors. Deep, inspired, & passionate, her richly textured arrangements make the songs both urgent & enduring." [Andrea Pritchett of Rebecca Riots]
“I was unable to move! Your voice is just so absolutely gorgeous! I was captivated! No one does what you do.” [Kym Tuvim, Singer/Songwriter]
“Insightful lyrics that bite back!” [Helen Walsh, ArtJuju Producer]
“Wow…Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed your performance.. you are funny, and engaging and your messages are important.. they cause people to think and to want to act differently in a positive way.. we (my family and I) have really enjoyed listening to your CD.. seeing live was well truly amazing.” Sallyanne Monti, President & CEO, Queer Stuff Enterprises
"Irina Rivkin's music and bilingual lyrics about
coming out to her Russian mother create a powerful
impression..welcome blend of personal and political"
[Jason Serinus, Bay Area Reporter "Pioneers & Torch Carriers, Out in Music: Outmusic's 2003 Award-winning Discs in Review]
"world-folk spawned from the artist's Russian folk-music background and acute sensitivity to personal and political injustice, and informed by a crossover-jazz sensibility a la Leonard Bernstein and a mildly experimental bent akin to that of Kate Bush or Meredith Monk.
It's all that, and it's pretty to listen to too....discrete moments could have come as easily from a North American roots-revivalist group like the Be Good Tanyas <http://begoodtanyas.com/> as from an exotic, arty hitmaker like the Bulgarian Women's Choir <http://www.bulgarianwomenschoir.com/> ....unlike most lyricists, who are at home only in one mode or the other, Rivkin can convince with words both clouded and clear." Jon Sobel
Partial list of venues:
University of Alaska, Fairbanks
Susquehanna Music & Arts Festival (MD)
Mateel Summer Arts & Music Festival (CA)
Island Earth Fair (Vashon, WA)
Women’s International Music Festival (Akron, OH)
National Womens Music Festival (Columbus, OH)
International Music Festival (San Francisco)
Northern California Women’s Music Festival
Divafest (CA)
Hopland Women's Music Festival (mainstage)
Celebration of Craftswomen: Fort Mason
Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival (Alaska)
Juneteenth Festival (Alaska)
Numerous LGBT Pride Celebrations
College of New Jersey
Shippensburg University (PA)
Pomona College (CA)
Cal State University Long Beach
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of California, Davis
Laney College
Seattle City College
Portland State University
Humboldt State University
New College Theater (SF, CA)
Institute for Musical Arts (Goshen, MA)
Boulder Coffeehouse (Fitchburg, MA)
Oakland Metro (Oakland, CA)
Eli's Mile-High Club (Oakland, CA)
Kuumbwa Jazz Center (Santa Cruz, CA)
La Pena (Berkeley, CA)
Ashkenaz (Berkeley, CA)
Freight & Salvage (Berkeley, CA)
LeStats (San Diego, CA)
The Mint (Los Angeles CA)
Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR)
Molly Malone’s (Los Angeles CA)
Coffee Gallery Backstage (Altadena CA)
Wild Jane’s (Guerneville, CA)
Inn of the Beginning (Cotati, CA)
Woodsong at Steppingwoods (Roseburg, OR)
Sam Bond's Garage (Eugene OR)
Café Paradiso (Eugene, OR)
Traditions (Olympia WA)
Flying Lion (Seattle, WA)
Cafe Uniontown (Astoria, OR)
Espresso Garden (San Jose, CA)
Kalani Honua Eco-Resort (Hawaii)
Breitenbush Hot Springs, Harbin Hot Springs
Heartwood Institute
Starlight Lodge (Markleeville, CA)
Holly's Place (South Lake Tahoe)
Rockrgrrl & Folk Alliance Conference Showcase
Hundreds of other venues, house concerts, festivals, & colleges
Instrumentation
Irina Rivkin- primarily acappella, some piano/keyboard with all-live, created-on-stage 3-to-9- part harmony & vocal rhythms layered using RC-20 or RC-50 looping instrument -- see sample of live performance of "Taking Our Freedom" on the SonicBids Video or at http://youtube.com/watch?v=98Jl_be5V-g and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl0hEnuFFfk
or at www.myspace.com/irinarivkin
additional vocalist(s), piano/keyboard, and other instrumentalist may be available, and collaborates musically with other singer/songwriters as well.
Discography
Upwelling (full length, Rose Street Records, 2004)
"upwelling" has airplay on over 100 stations.
Track 9 "See Thru Bush" from Upwelling on Acoustic Rainbow Compilation Vol 20
“Ya Eyo Lublu" from Upwelling on "Safe Haven" compilation raising funds for Portland LGBTQ youth services
click on "audio" to hear songs from "upwelling". To hear samples from all 13 "upwelling" songs, visit www.cdbaby.com/cd/irinarivkin
To receive a copy of the full CD for booking consideration or radio, email rosestbooking@yahoo.com
previous work: Rose Street Raw (2 songs on comp.)
Irina Rivkin "unplugged" homemade ep
Partial List of Radio Appearances & Radioplay as of July 2005:
CJLX Belleville ON
CKHA Haliburton ON
KALW San Francisco CA
KAWC Yuma AZ
KBCS WA
KBOO Portland OR
KDVS Davis CA
KHUM Humboldt CA
KHSU Arcata CA
KKUP Cupertino CA
KMUD Redway CA
KMUN Astoria OR
KNON Dallas TX
KHSU Arcata CA
KPFA Berkeley CA
KPSU Portland OR
KRCB Rohnert Park CA
KRCL Salt Lake City UT
KRSC Claremore OK
KRVM Eugene OR
KRVS Lafayette LA
KSER Seattle WA
KUFM Missoula MT
KUPS Tacoma OK
KUSF San Francisco CA
KZSC Santa Cruz CA
KZYX Mendocino CA
Radio Crystal Blue
Radio ZuSa (Germany)
Radio Wueste-Welle (Germany)
Utah Public Radio
WBAI NY
WBGU Bowling Green OH
WBKE N. Manchester IN
WBNY Buffalo NY
WCWS College of Wooster OH
WDPS Dayton OH
WEFT Champaign IL
WEIU Charleston IL
WFHB Bloomington IN
WFMT, Chicago IL (Syndicated)
WFUV NY
WGAZ Goodman WI
WHUS Storrs, CT
WIUS Carbondale IL
WJFF Jeffersonville NY
WMPG Portland ME
WNAS New Albany IN
WNJC Sewell NJ
WLUW Chicago IL
WORT Madison WI
WPKN CT
WPRB Princeton NJ
WRFG Atlanta GA
WRFL Lexington KY
WRVG Georgetown OH
WTSR College of NJ
WUMB MA
WXXE Syracuse NY
www.jackandjillradio.com FL
99.7 FM Brisbane Australia Sidestream
Laney Goodman's "Women in Music" syndicated on 87 stations
& many more
Links
| http://www.rosestreetmusic.com/irinarivkin.htm |