- Omnia (band)
-
Omnia 
CD cover 'Musick and Poëtree'Background information Origin The Netherlands Genres PaganFolk Years active 1996–present Labels PaganScum Records Website www.worldofomnia.com Members - Steve "Sic" Evans-van der Harten
- Jennifer Evans-van der Harten
- Philip Steenbergen
- Daphyd "Crow" Sens
- Rob "Raido" van Barschot
Notable instruments DADGAD guitar, Hurdy gurdy Omnia is a self-described "neoceltic pagan folk" band based in The Netherlands and whose members over the years have had Irish, Dutch, Cornish, Belgian and Persian backgrounds. Their music takes on the form of various cultural routes, from places around the world such as Ireland, England, Cornwall and Persia.
They sing in Welsh,[citation needed] English, Irish, Breton, Finnish, German, Latin and Hindi and play Celtic harp, mouth harp, hurdy gurdy, bodhrán, guitar, bouzouki, didgeridoo, flutes of all kinds, bagpipes, various drums and percussion instruments.
Contents
Band line-up
Present band line-up
- Steve "Sic" Evans van der Harten (lead vocals, double flute, overtone flute, whistle, bouzouki, darbukka, dombek, davul, mouth harp)
- Jennifer "Jenny" Evans van der Harten (lead vocals, Celtic Tall Harp, Piano, Hurdy gurdy, Bodhrán, Hammered Dulcimer)
- Philip Steenbergen (acoustic guitar, DADGAD guitar)
- Daphyd "Crow" Sens (slideridoo, didgeridoo, mouth harp, vocals)
- Rob "Raido" van Barschot (drums and percussion)
OMNIA alumni since 1996
- Noel "Caicus" Franken (percussion)
- Misja "Barca" van Laatum (vocals, percussion)
- Joyce "Gaudia" Hellendoorn (vocals, flute and percussion)
- Saskia "Zaza" van Koningsbrugge (dance, percussion)
- Louis "Luka" Aubri (swordplay, didgeridoo, vocals, percussion)
- Mirjam "Ursula" van den Boogaard (percussion)
- Nico "Caligula" (percussion)
- Angela ""Thalia" (dance)
- Mark "Argus" van den Broek (acrobatics and juggling)
- Renee "Gaius" van de Schuur (swordplay)
- Tijn "Timor" Rams (swordplay)
- Floris "Florissimo" Pasma (juggling and fire)
- Ben "Kleine Ben" van Koert (percussion)
- Susanne Ruhling (vocals, dance, percussion)
- Michel "Mich" Rozek (drums)
- Joost "Yoast" van Es (guitar, violin)
- Tom "Tommy" Spaan (drums and percussion)
- Joseph "Joe" Hennon (DADGAD guitar)
- Maral Haggimoni (vocals, dance, percussion)
Discography
- Sine Missione (recorded 1998, released 2000, no label)
- Sine Missione II (2002, Emmuty records)
- OMNIA "3" (2003, Zap Prod.)
- Crone of War (2004, Zap Prod.) - An album that focuses on Celtic mythology, e.g. the Mabon festival and gods such as Cernunnos and Taranis.[1]
- Live Religion (2005, PaganScum records) - Live album recorded in a church with one microphone.
- PaganFolk (2006, PaganScum records) - An album with numerous traditional instruments employed. The style has been compared to the music of the German band Faun.[2]
- Cybershaman (2007, PaganScum records) - A remix album featuring 8 Omnia songs in Trance music and Electronic style.[3]
- Alive! (2007 PaganScum records). - The witches scene from Shakespeare's Macbeth, "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe and a poem by Lewis Caroll were set to music on this release. The artwork was created together with Alan Lee.[4]
- History (2007 PaganScum records) (American sampler) - Compilation album specifically made and remastered for USA sales.
- PaganFolk At The Fairy Ball (2008, PaganScum records) - A live album downloadable for free from the official website[5]
- Pagan Folk Lore (2008, PaganScum records) - live DVD containing interviews and performances of the 2008 line-up
- World Of Omnia (2009, PaganScum records) - Partly a re-mastered compilation of older OMNIA works together with reworked new recordings and two original tracks.
- Wolf Love (2010, PaganScum records) - Contains all the different music styles OMNIA is capable of. Includes a free DVD of live material of the 2010 line-up . "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Caroll was set to music on this release.[6]
- Musick and Poëtree (2011, PaganScum records) - a 2 disc CD with one disc recorded with members of the 2011 line-up and the other disc recorded by Stenny solo. Notable songs are Free and a cover of the classic Wim Sonneveld song Het dorp about the modernization of Dutch rural life, which is sung by Steve Sic in Dutch, the first ever Dutch language song by OMNIA.
- An Dro
- Lughnasadh
- Mabon
- Morrígan
- Odi et Amo
- Teutates
- Twa Corbiez (a version of The Three Ravens)
- Dúlamán
- Bealtaine
Trivia
Sic hails from Cornwall and wrote a song named Cornwall about his homeland.[7] During gigs by Omnia the Cornish flag is displayed on stage when this song is performed.
Sic has a daughter, Myrthe-Fortuna, who is Jenny's stepdaughter, and a son, Damien-Raven, who is Jenny's stepson. The couple uses the word "Stenny" when referring to themselves as a couple (in the style of supercouples such as Brangelina). They are openly vegetarian, openly Pagan, and openly smoke marijuana, which was announced by Sic in Omnia's rap song "Dance Until We Die" on the album Wolf Love.
With the inclusion of Maral there is a second couple in the band. She is the girlfriend of guitarist Philip. Within Omnia they are sometimes referred to as "Phiral".
Omnia is heavily involved in the organisation of the Dutch Festival of Castlefest. Though the festival was not founded by them, they always wholeheartedly supported the festival. Castlefest, or the Festival of Light, is based on the Celtic feast of Lugnasadh. Omnia headlines the Saturday night at the festival, which is the Pagan Night (most notable for the wicker burning each year). Omnia also supports the organisation with the planning of the musical groups, on their multiple stages (four in 2011). When possible, Omnia wil perform multiple times at the festival, and releases their new albums there, too.
See also
References
- ^ Lohmann, Stephanie. "Omnia. Crown [sic] Of War" (in German). Sonic Seducer (Thomas Vogel Media e.K.) (10/2004). http://www.sonic-seducer.de/index.php/component/option,com_reviews/anzeige,4717/func,detail/.
- ^ Lohmann, Stephanie. "Omnia, Pagan Folk" (in German). Sonic Seducer (Thomas Vogel Media e.K.) (5/2006). http://www.sonic-seducer.de/index.php/component/option,com_reviews/anzeige,1840/func,detail/.
- ^ Castelnau, Peter. "Omnia. Cybershaman" (in German). Sonic Seducer (Thomas Vogel Media e.K.) (7/2007). http://www.sonic-seducer.de/index.php/component/option,com_reviews/anzeige,2838/func,detail/.
- ^ Castelnau, Peter. "Omnia. Alive!" (in German). Sonic Seducer (Thomas Vogel Media e.K.) (10/2007). http://www.sonic-seducer.de/index.php/component/option,com_reviews/anzeige,4796/func,detail/.
- ^ www.worldofomnia.com
- ^ Omnia - Jabberwocky on YouTube
- ^ Omnia - Cornwall on YouTube
External links
Categories:- Neofolk music groups
- Pagan Folk musicians
- Cornish music
- Dutch music
- Dutch musical group stubs
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
