The daily Astorian., March 09, 2017, Page 7, Image 17

MARCH 9, 2017 // 7
Singing a message of peace and unity
A cappella group Women of the World performs March 11 at the Liberty Theatre
By CATE GABLE
The Power of Music
Although the world
seems unusually divisive
these days, peer just below
the surface of the main-
stream media storm and one
can see lots of indicators of
hope. One of these is surely
the a cappella group Women
of the World. These women
from Japan, Italy, India and
the United States/Haiti will
be bringing fresh faces and
vibrant voices to the Liberty
Theatre for a concert at 7:30
p.m. Saturday, March 11.
(Note that they will also
perform at the Raymond
Theatre in Raymond, Wash-
ington, on March 19.)
This international quartet
of women, singing together
since 2008, feel strongly
about their purpose in the
world. Of course, they are
focused on their music, but it
seems their songs are only a
vehicle for something more
profound. As they say, “By
connecting with our diverse
community, we are building
a movement. We, as Women
of the World, believe in the
power of music. We believe
in our bond as a family of
musicians. We believe in
peace.” Though their music
is often light-hearted, upbeat
and full of lively rhythms,
they are serious about what
they’re doing.
Women of the World is
composed of Ayumi Ueda
of Japan, Annette Philip of
India, Débo Rày of the U.S./
Haiti, Giorgia Renosto of
Italy and Patrick Simard
of Canada on percussion.
Between them they have
26 different languages, and
they bring their diverse
cultures, tastes, sounds and
backgrounds to the stage in a
unique and exciting way.
As the reigning National
A Cappella Champions,
WOMEN OF THE WORLD
7:30 P.M. SATURDAY, MARCH 11
Liberty Theatre
1203 Commercial St., Astoria
503-325-5922, ext. 55
libertyastoria.org
$15 to $35
2 P.M. SUNDAY, MARCH 19
Raymond Theatre
323 Third St., Raymond, Washington
360-875-5207
sundayafternoonlive.org
$12 in advance, $15 at the door
Women of the World have
come together from across
the globe. Their collabo-
rative approach to music
allows each of them to excel
in the strengths of their own
cultures and individuals
skills, at the same time that
they explore and celebrate
the differences in their
musical traditions. Their
goal is to put a spotlight on
the daily lives of women all
over the world.
In the Beginning
The group’s founder,
Ueda, a Berklee College of
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Wome of the World is made up of, from left, Débo Rày of the
U.S./Haiti, Ayumi Ueda of Japan, Annette Philip of India, Gior-
gia Renosto of Italy, and Patrick Simard of Canada on percus-
sion (not pictured).
Music alumna from Japan,
had the spark of an idea. She
says “When I was a child I
was always interested in dif-
ferent cultures and music. I
was interested in everything
that was happening outside
of Japan. I kept asking my-
self, ‘What’s happening in
the world? What’s important
to other people? What makes
them laugh?’
“My father was an event
coordinator, and I had the
chance to meet a lot of
different people. So this idea
of creating a music group
was in my mind for a long
time. Then I found Berklee
College of Music in Boston,
and I started going to con-
certs at school. I printed up a
business card and if I heard
some musician I liked, I’d
say, ‘Oh, I want to sing with
that person.’ Then I’d ask,
‘Would you like to join me?’
and give them my card. We
started as a student recital
project.”
Ueda wanted to create a
multicultural ensemble that
not only crossed boundar-
ies musically but one that
was also committed to the
practice of peace in their
daily interactions. She gath-
ered a multicultural group
of women around her, and
they found that the four of
them together could produce
magic. “Sometimes we sing
folk songs, and sometimes
we create our own songs
together,” she says.
Because they all came
to their own music from
different countries and dif-
fering backgrounds, they are
natural pioneers. They are
constantly searching for new
genres to explore. The group
has performed in Bulgarian,
Cuban, Ladino, Brazilian,
Turkish, African, Haitian,
Indian, Italian and Japanese
music — just to name a few
of the languages and styles.
In many ways, the
ensemble is a microcosm of
the world. For the first half
of their show, they wear tra-
ditional costumes from their
own countries in a visual
display of their world-wide
reach. The cross-pollina-
tion of genres, rhythms and
global sounds is borderless
and spirited. Their magic on
stage allows both for indi-
vidual voices to stand out as
well as to blend in a musical
message of unity.
When asked what Ueda
most likes about touring, she
says, “It’s amazing to see the
different scenery wherever
we go. And the people are
amazing too. We are so
touched, we’re overwhelmed
by how welcoming the
communities are. We love to
interact with our audiences.”
As part of their performance,
the audience will have a
chance to ask questions and
talk with group members
during the show.
Proof of the fun they
catalyze is certainly appar-
ent on their Facebook page.
One of the posts by member
Giorgia Renosto — from
Torino, Italy — is a family
recipe for Tiramisù, which
means “pick me up!”
As Renosto tells us, “The
are many legends around
this delicious Italian dessert.
The Piedmontese version
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