Asani prepares first CD

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It's been an exciting 16 months for Asani. The five women vocal ensemble have played Carnegie Hall in New York City, overhauled their musical line up, and have just recorded their first CD, which is scheduled for release at the end of July.

The CD will feature live recordings from their June 17 and 18 concerts at the Edmonton's Grant MacEwan Community College Seventh Stree Campus. The concerts were the first time the group played a full length program and they shone.

Asani is a little over a year old and is not getting used to thier latest singers. New member Karen Donaldson not only brings her strong voice to the a cappella group, she also brings some polished violin playing.

Julie Golosky is also a new member, and brings some talented song writing skills to the group. An example of her flair for lyrics is obvious in the song "War Bride," a sad story of a beaten wife. Golosky also sings lead vocals on the song.

The majority of Asani's songs are original and deal with Aboriginal themes. The group sings in Ojibway, Cree, English and French. They sing about residential schools, child abuse, environmental issues, First Nations, and bannock.

The two-night concert also served as a fund raiser for Big Sky Theater, a new Aboriginal theater company. The theater's artistic director, Anna Marie Sewell, is the sister of Asani's founding member Cathy Sewell.