Yale’s Whim’n Rhythm
Yale’ University famous a cappella group Whim’n Rhythm included Bucharest in their World Tour 2019.
Program: approx. 60 minutes (no interlude)
Whim’n Rhythm:
- I Feel the Earth Move (originally by Carole king)
- Down to the River to Pray
- Lullaby of Birdland (jazz standard)
- Wayfaring Stranger (traditional folk Song)
- Jolene (originally by Dolly Parton)
- Parting Glass (traditional Irish Song)
- Hammond Song (our alumni song)
Alina Ciolca (vocal), Bogdan Banga (guitar), Adrian Chepa (percusssions, bass):
- If I had my way (gospel/spirituals)
- Iancu Jianu (Romanian)
- Furiga (Aromanian)
- Chitu Mila (Megleno-Romanian)
Nina Achilov (mezzo-soprano), Tudor Scripcariu (piano)
- Russian songs
In 1981, seven Yale women came together to form the university’s first and only senior women’s a cappella group. Today Whim ‘n Rhythm is a nonprofit organization composed of thirteen of the best senior soprano-alto singers at Yale. Since its founding, the members of Whim ‘n Rhythm have recorded professional studio albums and traveled to every continent to share their talent and love of singing with audiences around the world, all while promoting the role of women in higher education and music.
Whim ‘n Rhythm’s diverse repertoire ranges from upbeat jazz standards to contemporary pop hits to traditional folk ballads. We frequently update our repertoire and have created a collection of music that can be altered to fit a broad range of venues, including dinner parties, weddings, holiday events, and school assemblies. Our music has been recognized worldwide and was featured in the Best of Collegiate A Cappella.
”A chant of worlds – a blend of blues and songs with a drawl” is the name of a music projet by singer-songwriter Alina Ciolcă and Band which aims to build, through alternative (re)interpretations, a cultural bridge between two apparently distant worlds : traditional archaich Afro-American music, which blues and jazz stemmed from, and Vlach folklore, reuniting traditional music in all four historical dialects of the archaich Romanian language (Daco-Romanian, Aromanian, Megleno-Romanian, Istro-Romanian).
Alina Ciolcă – vocals
Having started singing at a very young age, Alina Ciolcă has always sought to express raw emotion through a unique, personal vocal style, experiencing in various musical contexts, from playing in Romanian pop music contests/festivals to blues-jazz, rock and heavy-metal bands. Since 2016, she is a founding member and vocalist of blues-rock/roots-rock band Dusty Ride, alongside which she played numerous national and international blues and rock festivals, as well as national radio and TV shows and a first album entitled ”Dawn” was released in January 2019, containing seven own compositions collectively written by all four members on lyrics by Alina. Since 2018, she initiated a solo project based on reinterpreted traditional music, materialized in a bilingual album entitled ”Îngân lumea – despre blues și cântări tărăgănate”/ ”A chant of worlds – a blend of blues and songs with a drawl”, released in April 2019.
Bogdan Bîngă – guitar
A young self-taught guitar player, Bogdan Bîngă started playing guitar at the age of 17. Even if following a different academic and professional path, having graduated from the Building Engineering Department at the ”Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași, he has followed his passion for music, he played in various folk, rock and blues bands. Since 2018, he is a member of the Alina Ciolcă and Band solo project, playing electric and slide guitar and creating inovative rearrangements for traditional archaic songs.
Adrian Chepa – percusssions, bass
An extremely versatile, experienced musician and a multi-instrumentalist, Adrian Chepa gratuated from the Romanian Military School of Music and has been part of numerous musical projects ever since, ranging from progresssive rock, alternative rock, ethno-rock, reggae and blues, in well-known Romanian bands such as Spitalul de Urgență and Mike Godoroja and The Blues Spirits. As part of Romanian groups Liverpool (Beatles tribute band) and Theo and The Wristband (Frank Zappa tribute band), Adrian played at international festivals abroad, receiving excellent critical acclaim, namely the Beatle Week 2012 (The Beatles tribute festival in Liverpool, UK) and Zappanale 2017 ( Frank Zappa tribute festival in Bad Doberan, Germany). Alongside Alina, Adrian is also a founding member of blues-rock/roots-rock band Dusty Ride (as bass player) since 2016 and the Alina Ciolcă and Band solo project since 2018.
Young graduate of the National University of Music, Nina is a soloist at the Comic Opera House for Children in Bucharest, with roles in The Magic Flute, The Sound of Music and King’s Daughter. Other roles: “La Sphinge” (National Opera Bucharest), Dido, in Purcell’s masterpiece “Dido & Aeneas” (Iasi Athenaeum) and Olga, in “Eugene Onegin” (National University of Music).
Recitals in Greece (Thessaloniki Conservatory), Italy (Athenaeum Hall in Barletta), Bulgaria (Vidin Philharmonic), Lauder-Reut Gala at the Parliament, “George Enescu” Festival Square, “Ion Dumitrescu” Philharmonic in Ramnicu Valcea, “Paul Constantinescu” Philharmonic in Ploiesti, The Art Museum in Constanta, Old Music Festival in Miercurea Ciuc, “George Enescu” Museum in Bucharest, Cultural Centre Arcub, Palace of the National Military Circle, etc.
Vocal-symphonic music: “Stabat Mater” by G. B. Pergolesi, at the Romanian Athenaeum and the “Paul Constantinescu” Philharmonic in Ploiesti. Soloist with “Alexandrov Ensemble”
