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Pounding tribal drums, haunting orchestral keyboards, gritty electric guitar, pulsing bass and two operatic voices, one, glittering silver, one, liquid gold. Epic dramatic classic world beat.

 

Anna Bateman - Vocals
Ren Kennedy - Vocals
Don Stagg - Keyboards
Jozef Pilasanovic - Guitar / Bass
Gary Flint - Drums
 
Odonata : The order of insects including Dragonflies and Damselflies
 
... going past self-created illusions that limit our growing and changing ...
 
Back in early 2003 Ren Kennedy and Anna Bateman were singing together in Mozart's comedic opera, The Impressario. Both girls, originally from the West Coast, immediately connect and found there was a meeting of spirit and voice that was undeniable, and truly powerful.  Anna's siliver and crystalline shimmer and Ren's golden powerful rumble made a contrast that is at the same time sweet and thrilling.  As their friendship grew they realized they shared a desire to step outside of the traditional operatic world and forge bravely into the world of pop.  They dreamed of incorporating their classically trained operatic voices with instruments not generally associated with opera , like electric guitar, bass, drums and keyboards, creating a unique sound that spanned from dance music to world beat and beyond.  One afternoon in Apirl, Ren innocently answered an ad placed by a composer looking for voices to communicate his songs, and in October 2003 she and Anna were holding the four-track single Odonata in their hands, eagerly anticipating the world's response to their music.
 
Odonata is Ren Kennedy (vocals/lyrics), Anna Bateman (vocals/lyrics), Don Stagg (composer/arranger/lyrics/keyboards), Jozef Pilasanovic (guitar/bass), and Gary Flint (drums).  The four songs chosen for the single shows how bringing these five elements together can render diverse and unique songs, each with it's own flavour and message.  "He Touched My Soul", music and lyrics by Don Stagg, is a song of reminiscence and the fragility of love. "Spirit" music by Don Stagg, lyrics by Don Stagg and Ren, is a duet between humanity and deity.  "Pacis", music by Don Stagg, lyrics by Ren, is a prayer of peace.  "Snapshot" music by Don Stagg, lyrics by Don Stagg and Ren, reminds the listener to cherish memories and moments.
 
Listening to any one of these pieces may give one a glimpse into the genre where Odonata may fit.  "Snapshot" is blues-rock song with edgy rock vocals, whereas "Spirit" might be classified as world beat and "Pacis" as electronic dance music and "He Touched My Soul" is a powerful love ballad that seems to hover between pop and country.  To slot Odonata into any on eof these genres would be folly and if a new genre could be created into which this group does fit,  it might be labeled epic-classical world beat, but that would only continue to limit the vision of there this band migh tgo next and like clipping the wings of the dragonflies they seek to emulate, that too would be folly.
 
The songs for their new CD have themes of Egyptian goddesses, spanish dances and orchestral montages, contrasting the operatic with the avant-garde keyboards, brilliant gutsy guitar and pentrating tribal drums throughout.
 
Refracting and reflecting light in our wings... Odonata