Alicia Borisonik and The Argentinean Project
Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
Music
Press
“…The CD has been the death of the album in many ways, and we’re not talking about vinyl. Artists often feel compelled to fill out a disc to 50-60 minutes (with a third or more being filler), but Alicia Borisonik’s second album is notably understated with its relatively brief 32 minutes in length.
Nonetheless, the Canadian based/Argentine born-and-raised vocalist, accordion player and pianist makes her points and covers a lot of ground with a jazzy and tango-infused combination that also considers Argentine folk music and modern programming, particularly on “LA VIDA ES LO QUE ES”. She drives her band with a strong rhythmic hand, but she’s well supported thoroughly by an acoustic septet, with solid work from violinist Sunita Gingras and the rhythm duo of percussionists Ross Murray (who also co-produces) and Alvaro de Minaya.
Things take a turn for the carnivalesque on “BUENOS AIRES COLORIDA” but even so, the music remains winningly buoyant. Sometimes you can look north for a taste of Buenos Aires…”
Tad Henrickson - Global Rhythm Magazine
“…Alicia has created a CD that reflects a beautiful combination of the jazz she loves and her Latin roots. Her original music makes you pay attention with its mood swings and lively beats…”
Daylle Deannes Schwartz, author of “The Real Deal” published by Billboard.
- none
It's not often that one gets to hear Latin American music in Ottawa but, along with the arrival of spring, one of the city's transplanted treasures has emerged with an album of true Argentinean warmth. The title song, Busco un lugar, translates to "looking for my home," written by Borisonik when she was 12 years old and struggling to understand a repressive regime in her home country. The rest of the album continues in this vein, as memories of past lives, places and feelings are invoked by Borisonik's impressive vocal breadth. The instrumentation is exceptional also: Everything from garbage cans to cheese trays are used to complement traditional instruments such as the caja chayera - a beautiful, deep-sounding drum. A stirring nine songs of personal revelation, Busco un lugar may be just the thing to defrost your soul. - Ottawa X-Press
Il n'est pas courant d'entendre de la musique latino-américaine à Ottawa, encore moins avec l'arrivée du printemps, mais voilà qu'un trésor de chaleur argentine vient d'émerger. Alicia Borisonik lance Busco Un Lugar, ce qui se traduit par «chercher ma place». L'artiste a écrit la chanson-titre alors qu'elle n'avait que 12 ans et qu'elle peinait à comprendre le régime répressif qui ébranlait son pays natal. Le reste de l'album s'inscrit dans cette même veine, souvenirs du passé, endroits et émotions étant évoqués avec toute l'étendue vocale de la bouleversante Borisonik. Les arrangements musicaux sont tout aussi exceptionnels: à côté d'instruments plus traditionnels comme le caja chayera - petit tambour aux battements profonds -, tout est utilisé pour habiller cet univers, de la poubelle de métal aux plateaux de fromages. Au final, Busco Un Lugar, comme autant de chansons remuantes de révélations personnelles, agit comme un bon remède pour se réchauffer l'âme. - Le Voir
“…This music explores Latin roots with a Canadian twist…”
Bill Stunt/ CBC Outfront
- Outfront
“… Alicia demonstrates a deep commitment as a musician…she is dedicated in her interest in presenting the music of Argentina to Canadian audiences…”
Chris Dray, artistic Director of the Yukon Arts Centre
- Yukon Arts Centre
Discography
"Esa Locura de Vivir"
"Busco un Lugar"
Photos
Bio
Alicia Borisonik was born in 1965 in the Argentinean province Buenos Aires. As a child she started playing music on the recorder at the age of seven, went on to play the organ and guitar, and by 12 or 13 years old she was composing music and writing poetic lyrics for her songs.
Fascinated by harmonies, she taught herself by playing music, recording it, and playing over it. The accordion – the same instrument that her grandfather left Russia with as a boy – is an instrument Alicia learned to play as an adult.
Alicia enjoyed countless musical successes in Argentina. As a singer, arranger, composer and performer, Alicia’s talents were regularly called upon in the thriving musical scene of Buenos Aires. She performed and toured with rock groups, Broadway-type musicals and theatre companies. However, she was unhappy living under a repressive and unpredictable regime.
While visiting her sister in Canada she fell in love with the sense of freedom the country offered and so, in 1994, Alicia emmigrated to Canada.
Based in Gatineau,Québec, where she now lives with her husband and stepson, Alicia has built a career around composing, teaching and performing. She plays accordion and keyboards, and is a vocalist, composer, and arranger. She is also a professional piano instructor – including jazz and tango piano. She teaches both adults and in schools through support from the SOCAN Foundation, MASC, and the Ontario Arts Council. She has received funding from Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council, Conseil des Arts du Québec and FACTOR for research, composition and recording.
Drawn back to the traditional folk and tango music of her native Argentina, Alicia returned to Buenos Aires for the summer of 2006 to study tango and Argentinian folk music with some of the best local musicians. “Going to Buenos Aires, my city, is for me a tremendous source of inspiration, the local scene is overwhelming, you can feel the lively spirit of the city vibrating all the time.” says Alicia.
It is from this experience that she drew inspiration for the compositions on her latest recording, Busco un Lugar.
Busco un Lugar (“Looking for my Home”), Alicia Borisonik’s second CD, traces Alicia’s life from her teenage years in Argentina living under a brutal dictatorship, through the journey to her current life in Canada. On this new CD, she brings the most traditional influences of her life experiences together with contemporary musical innovations by blending traditional Argentinian music with contemporary vocals, electronic beats and loops, and infusing it with the richness of violin and accordion.
Alicia explains, “This CD, in a way, is a gift to myself, the end of a cycle and the beginning of new ones. It’s a collage of various moments, emotions and scenes from my life... ”
Alicia’s collaborative partner, drummer and artistic producer Ross Murray, created the loops, percussion and arrangements on Busco un Lugar and the roster of musicians on the CD includes Alvaro De Minaya providing bombo leguero and Latin percussion, Stuart Watkins and Tom McMahon on bass, Sunita Gingras playing violin, Rene Gely on guitar, and Daniel Srugo on Spanish guitar.
Along with composing and arranging, Alicia Borisonik plays piano, accordion, and vocals. Busco un Lugar will be distributed in Canada by Festival Distribution (www.festival.bc.ca)
GRANTS RECEIVED:
1995- Ontario Arts Council for Composition
1998- FACTOR for demo recording
2005- Canada Council for the Arts for research of Argentinian music
2005- Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Quebec for composition
2000 til now- SOCAN Foundation to teach Music composition in Schools
2007/08- Arts Smarts to teach Music from South America in Schools
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