Peia

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Peia
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About the speaker

Peia is an American born song collector, writer and multi-instrumentalist based in the mountains of Southern Oregon. Like water from a deep well, she draws inspiration from her ancestral roots of Celtic and Old World European folk music. With the voice of a lark, Peia dances nimbly from Child Ballads and 17th C. Gaelic laments, to Waulking Songs, and Bulgarian mountain calls. She has travelled extensively over the past 10 years to uncover melodies wrinkled and wise with time, labouring to honor their language and stories, while bringing a piece of herself to each song she carries.

A powerful voice in the rising global community of people who are committed to restoring a balanced relationship with the Earth, Peia expresses her holistic vision and passion through her music, educational workshops and advocacy for social and environmental rights groups. Peia’s revolving collaborative ensemble weaves in rich vocal harmonies, driving percussion, and intricate guitar work, together with her own instrumentation on charangon and harmonium to create lush, organic soundscapes. Her mesmerizing performances offer authentic re-imaginings of traditional musical treasures, along with a stunning repertoire of her own original songs. Trained in Opera at the New England Conservatory in Boston, Peia set off to India, South America and the European continent in 2010 to begin her exploration and study of traditional folk songs.

In 2012 Peia released her first solo album The Dance of Devotion – a collection of poetic love songs and chants. Peia found her voice in her second release, Four Great Winds – a timeless journey through traditional and original song. Self released in May 2013 and picked up by Sounds True for global release in 2015. Following the initial release of ‘Four Great Winds’ Peia gained international notoriety and requests for performances in Europe, Australia, Bali, Brazil and Canada. Her music has taken her around the world, gained over 10 million views on YouTube, and sparked collaborations with many world-class artists including: legendary poet and Rumi scholar Coleman Barks, author, mythologist & storyteller Michael Meade, Folk-Roots group Rising Appalachia, Renaissance Lutist Ronn McFarlane, Iranian tar master Ali Ghamsari, Grammy Award Winner Peter Kater and Irish singer Eílish Kennedy.

Peia currently splits her time between touring and the, wild hills of Southern OR where she wildcrafts herbal remedies, sings with Wild Honey – an all women’s world music trio, and teaches Song of the Ancients – voice cultivation and ancestral songline tracing. Fusing her knowledge of Vocal Pedagogy (The Science of the Voice) with the ancient meditative practice of Nada Yoga, she imparts upon her students the tools to harness the natural beauty and resonance of the voice .

Past events
15th September 2022
14th September 2022