From pmc at postmoderncore.com  Wed Sep 10 17:52:00 2008
From: pmc at postmoderncore.com (postmoderncore)
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:52:00 +1200
Subject: [Aroarts-announce] A Harper's intrepid journey
Message-ID: <48C84180.8070803@postmoderncore.com>

A HARPER'S INTREPID JOURNEY

Asni launches her first New Zealand CD album "Travels in Middle-earth"
on Tuesday 16 September from 8 pm at Happy (cnr Vivian St and Tory St).
She will be supported by Tahu - that is, Henare Walmsley, taonga puoro
and Mike Hogan, guitar.

 Tickets at the door: $15 / $10 concessions.  CDs will be available for
sale at the door - buy a CD and get in free! They can also be ordered
online - please visit www.asni.net <http://www.asni.net>
 
more info, audio, images: http://www.asni.net/travelguide.html


Formerly a world-travelling harper, five years ago Asni took up the New
Zealand government on its offer to give her residency on the strength of
her artistic reputation, and settled down in Wellington. Although
adapting to a new and very different artistic environment has been by no
means easy - an environment where the question "Where are you from"
sometimes seems more important than "What do you do and how good are you
at it?" - she has never looked back. She now proudly presents her third
CD production, and the first produced in New Zealand.

Never one to conform to role expectations, Asni has left her origins in
classical music behind and has created her own contemporary style. She
draws on a profound knowledge of musical traditions, and has worked with
a wide range of musicians, from alternative pop to traditional Maori
music. She was fortunate to collaborate with Alistair Fraser, who plays
his taonga puoro (traditional Maori instruments) on several tracks of
her new CD. A powerful combination of sounds and ancient musical traditions!

 A rabid Tolkien fan since her teens, to Asni Middle-earth represents
much more than a bestselling book and a blockbuster movie: it is a
metaphor for a world where people increasingly refuse to define their
identity by "where they are from", by their nationality and ethnicity.
The CD project has had enthusiastic support from the fan community. 
John Howe, renowned Tolkien artist and conceptual designer for the Lord
of the Rings movies, was so impressed with Asni's first solo album "700
Years of Pop" that he offered the use of one of his illustrations for
the cover of the new CD.

Asni took inspiration from the same sources that spurred Tolkien's
imagination - but one does not have to be a Tolkien afficionado to enjoy
the sound worlds she creates. Not content with just adapting a few songs
from Howard Shore's film soundtrack, Asni combines Medieval songs, dance
music not only from Ireland and Scotland, but from Finland and
neighbouring Estonia, and even from as far afield as Spain and Western
Africa, as well as original tunes inspired by texts from Tolkien's book
on her new album.

Asni has recently completed a Diploma in Multimedia Design and will be
focusing on her new career in the future. Don't miss this rare
opportunity to see and hear her perform live - it may well be the last
for quite a while.
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