ODONATA - Toronto based band that fuses operatic vocals with rock and electronica

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Anna Bateman - Vocals
Ren Kennedy - Vocals
Don Stagg - Keyboards
Jozef Pilasanovic - Guitar / Bass
Gary Flint - Drums

going past self-created illusions that limit our growing and changing...

Back in early 2003 Ren Kennedy and Anna Bateman were singing together in Mozarts comedic opera, The Impressario.  Both girls, originally from the West Coast, immediately connected and found there was a meeting of spirit and voice that was undeniable, and truly powerful. Annas silver and crystalline shimmer and Rens 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 forage 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 April, 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 worlds response to their music.

Odonata is Ren Kennedy (Vocals/lyrics, Anna Bateman (vocals/lyrics), Don Stagg (composer/arranger/ lyricist & keyboard), Joszef 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 its own flavor 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 of between humanity and deity.  Pacis, music by Don Stagg, lyrics by Ren, is a prayer of peace.  Snapshot music and lyrics by Don Stagg, reminds the listener to cherish memories and moments.

Listening to any of one these pieces may give one a glimpse into the genre of Odonata. Snapshot is an edgy rock song with the vocals lending themselves more to rock and pop, whereas Spirit might be classified as world beat and Pacis as dance music and He Touched My Soul is a powerful love ballad. To slot Odonata into any one of these genres would be folly and if a new genre could be created into which they fit it might be labeled epic-classic-world beat, but that would only continue to limit the vision of where this band might go next and like the dragonflies they emulate that too would be folly.

 

Refracting and reflecting light in our wings... Odonata

 

The songs for their new CD have themes of Egyptian goddesses, Spanish dances and orchestral montages contrasting the classical operatic with avant-garde keyboards, brilliant gutsy guitar and penetrating tribal drums throughout.