XI.ME.NA
New York City, New York, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2014
Music
Press
"The album is an entirely gratifying experience because Joyful Noise manages to finally shake off the dust of the once tired Christmas album, and reinvent in a new and exciting way." - The Big Takeover
"Joyful Noise is an album that will shatter all conceptions that listeners will have about holiday music. This is the best holiday-themed album that we have happened upon so far this year, and it will maintain its freshness long after the Christmas tree has passed.." - Neufutur Magazine
"She has a great voice and her experimentations with it paid off in this passion project . It is worth your time, if the normal X-mas fare doesn’t cut it for you. Would like to hear her voice put to use in her future endeavors, which I hope are just as adventurous. I normally hate X-mas music so for her to sway me is a testament to what she has crafted. " - Soletron
In addition to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, there is the traditional Christmas song. There are many; songs about jingle-bells, the omnipresent Santa Claus and his helpers, and, of course, the glorious birth of Jesus. If you think about it, Christmas is the only holiday peppered with so many songs. Aside from the glittering tinsel, the songs are what fill us with that deep sense of nostalgia. No matter how old you are, the fat man in the one horse open sleigh will always bring a promise of a gift. And the sleeping Holy Infant will always give you a promise of peace.
The Christmas song welcomes us into our local shopping malls, office buildings, churches, or favorite restaurants. For some of us these sounds help to ease the stress, for others the songs tap into the wonder of the holiday, for some the songs offer an excuse to party. Not only are they nostalgic, the songs are diverse, spanning many different genres and languages. Hearing the spirit of the Christmas holiday is just as important as the narrative connected to it.
Every year a new twist on old familiar traditional Christmas songs come our way. And memorable versions of at least one Christmas song (secular or religious), if not an entire album, have been done by many musicians throughout the years. Songs ranging from 50s Rock 'N Rollers, to Punk Rockers, to Hip-Hoppers have entertained us since St. Francis of Assisi, in 1223 AD, started nativity plays in Italy.
Recently, Ximena Borges has stepped into this universal web of Christmas song cornucopia with her new album Joyful Noise. Some of her songs are very spiritual, and some are sassy. She does it acapella -- one voice, one body, five languages. It is mind-boggling how Ximena gets so many sounds from her own body, but she does magnificently enchant by snapping her fingers, clapping her hands, pounding her chest, whistling, rolling her tongue just to name a few sound maneuvers. The juxtaposition of these intriguing sounds with her sweet opera voice makes for agreeable listening.
Joyful Noise starts off with "Crunchy Drummer Boy" a remake of the 1941 "Little Drummer Boy". This funky, jazzy, and hip version of a poor boy playing drums for Infant Jesus puts the "pa rum pum pum pum" in the effort. What follows is "Kurt Tannembaum", a German version of "Oh Christmas Tree" with a cabaret twist. By the third track, Borges gets reverent with a traditional French carol published in 1862 rejoicing the birth of the Holy Child. She turns to a Venezuelan traditional song "Niño Lindo", sung as a Spanish tanquillo. Here, she shows off her vocal chops while texturing the song with claps and rolling tongue. The most beautiful song on the album is Ximena's multilingual "Noche de Bach" and the sexiest is "Santa Baby". - Hufftington Post
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
New York/Venezuelan experimental musician, Xi.me.na Borges is an extremely eclectic songwriter. Armed with an array of digital and analogue technologies, Xi.me.na uses her voice to blend the music of disparate times and places, creating alluring sonic collages all in real time. It's like being inside a composer's mind while she works, and the effect is totally mesmerizing. Called “pop diva of opera” by Parenthesis Magazine, Xi.me.na migrates confidently between avant-garde opera and electronic pop: From stacked harmonies and joyful hooks, to moodier, reflective moments that showcase her sophisticated vocals. Neufutur Magazine says, “Xi.me.na’s music does come from left field, but it is done in a fashion that is absolutely catchy and hard to forget.”
Daughter of one of Venezuela’s most prominent visual artists, Xi.me.na went on to study at the Manhattan School of Music. A gifted musician since her youth, Xi.me.na was already poised for professional stardom upon completion of her classical training. In 2012, she began to break away from the traditional technical approach of operatic singing to explore the range of sounds she could create with her voice. In November 2013 she released “Joyful Noise” with multi-award winning producer and Grammy nominated musician Gonzalo Grau. Xi.me.na simulated all instruments on “Joyful Noise” with the creative use of her vocals. Her Kickstarter campaign (http://goo.gl/JBiUsc) in support of the release was fully funded, with 139 backers and over $12,000 raised. IX Daily called it “the most innovative Christmas album of the year” and Neufutur Magazine “This is the best holiday-themed album that we have happened upon so far this year”.
Beloved in her native Venezuela, she has performed concerts and festivals with renowned musicians such as Aquiles Baez, Galeica, Los Hermanos Naturales, La Vida Boheme, and has appeared regularly in National TV and radio. In New York she is the Musical Director for Heidi Ladsky Dance and in Berlin she participates in multidisciplinary collaborations, including composing music for theater-dance companies such as Damage Dance, Buglisi Dance Theater, Kate Lee Theater. Xi.me.na is currently working on her next album that will be released in 2015.
Band Members
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