kobi

‘ABOUT KOBI’ Who is “Kobi“? Well, Kobi is short for Kobialko, and Kobialko is who we are. It‘s our birth name and we are Irish/Ukrainians ; born and raised up in good ole Saskatchewan. Daddy Frank broke his back building roads in the North, and Mama Mary fed lots of hungry prairie bellies. “Kobi” consists of me, (Bea), and my kid brother, Deny. I’m just the singer/songwriter, but Deny wears many hats. He’s known as Deni, the harmony singer; Denny, the lead guitarist; Den, the bass man; Dene, the drummer, Deni Kobi, the producer, and Dennis, when I can’t get my rhythm track down, but I just call him Deny, and together we are “KOBI“. Bea’s Biography….. Music has surrounded my life even since before I was born. My heritage defined and demanded the presence of music, love and laughter. I’ve been singing since I was four years old for crowds of friends and families. I’ve been writing songs for 25 years, and now all I want to do is share my gift and my life’s journey with other souls. I worked as a barmaid/bartender in the 80’s and sang on every live stage in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. I recorded ’Do You thing it’s All Worth While’, a song written by Don Young and Five Star Reunion and played with the Free Beer Band back in the 90’s. As a single parent, I stopped by the U of S and got my degree in Science, and started my love affair with the north. I’ve played at rodeo’s, smokey bars, weddings, reunions, anniversaries, and kitchen tables. The kitchen table, now that’s really where the best music is made. The 21st century hit, and I found myself working in bush camps across Canada, and loving it! The kinship that forms is magical, and the memories priceless. So, Welcome to my world, and I hope these tunes will lighten some dear soul’s day! Pass it On and Let ‘r Buck! Deny’s Biography…… Dennis Kobialko was born in Regina, Saskatchewan in 1977, the youngest of five, two brothers and two sisters; Mike, John, Bea and Frann. He came from a very musical family. His mother Mary sang and his father Frank picked guitar. There was always something playing on the record player or the radio or the kitchen. In high school, Dennis played in two bands; in one he was a drummer for a power rock trio, and on the weekends he was playing in his father, Frank’s outlaw country band simply named Full Moon. After that it became clear he would continue on this path. After leaving home at the age of 17 he joined a top forty band and went on the road. Dennis has worked as a free lance guitarist/vocalist and drummer landing him work all around Canada, and the US with such acts as Red Blaze, automatic slim, Nashville Sneakers, The Guild, Codie Prevost, Ashley St. Denis, and Rod Gerdie, to name a few. Dennis is presently a dad and producing records as well as performing with his sister, Bea and brother, John, and other acts throughout Canada and the US. Title Tracks with Bea’s Notes “WHISKEY SCARS“: O, dear, fill him up with too much rum and watch the misery run! Whiskey Scars was written around the events of a very colorful and loving, diamond driller by the name of Bruce Markham…better known as the ’Barren Land Beast’. This tune also mirrors a few of my own experiences with the fierce fire in the bottle. Well, I can’t get into all the particulars because everybody knows what goes on in camp stays in camp, so let me just say, I spent close to four months in a diamond drill camp, north of La Loche, Saskatchewan, (Teddy’s camp). There was never a dull moment and you could never stay mad at the beast because all that junk just poured out of a bottle! If you’d like to hear some of the stories it’ll only cost you a sixty of rum…. If you dare he he he. I love you, Bruce! “O, SHE DOES”: O, those Yukon skies, they are a lot like Saskatchewan skies; just add mountains and the linger of gold. There is a precious memory attached to every lyrical line in this song. I spent two summers and a fall in a camp to the southwest of Dawson City, Yukon. There is a deep presence there full of a spirit I have no words to describe. I just know I’d love to go back. “DRILL COOK BLUES”: 0ooooo shhhhiiiittt! These drill cook blues come on when people don’t do their jobs in camp. Especially if you’ve been in camp a long period of time. Around six weeks you start feeling a little bushed, but you keep pluggin away cause you love your boys and ya just wanna make life a little better. So I talk it out and write a song that will perhaps make everyone sing, tap their toes, and laugh at the poor cook, and her eccentric ways! “OLE HEALING NORTH”: The drill’s quit turning and all of a sudden there came this yearning! This song was inspired by my heartfelt longing to be back working in the bush camps. The North has always been a true love of mine (its strength has never failed me) perhaps instilled by my late father, Frank, who dedicated a large part of his life to hunting, fishing, making music, and building roads in the North. He was away from home a lot, but when he returned he t