DISCOGRAPHY:

LEYENDA (2016)

‘Leyenda’ is a very personal album inspired by legends and mythologies of women and feminine beings from Spain, Europe, and diverse places from around the world. To help me explore and understand the darkness that lives in all human beings, I wanted to discover the ancient world of the feminine that has been passed down through the generations but we have lost touch with.

I connected with these women because they had something to teach me. Their stories moved and inspired me. Their strength and power reflect aspects of the feminine essence as an extension of nature, across the spectrum of light and shadow. They are brave, strange women, otherworldly beings who have transcended their nature in an immense act of love, according to their understanding. Women who burn bridges, are killed in fights, devour men, cut their wings or shed their skin. Stories of love and hate, kindness, sacrifices, obsessions and desires, reflecting timeless human passions. They taught me that only by accepting darkness, light can acquire a complete sense. Their love, strength, their sublime act became something magical and miraculous, and were are transmitted in the form of legend to show us an important aspect of the feminine essence, which is ultimately common to all human beings.
To me legends are the key to understand an ancient wisdom that has been carved into the collective consciousness of people. The essence of their stories and archetypical characters is reflected in a variety of mythologies, reminding us of the universal need to express the same worries.
'Leyenda' is a tribute to all women and to the feminine side, because our lives are reflected in that of the protagonists and, through that, we become part of the legend ourselves. I invite you to go through that mirror daring to feel their stories; after all, their light and darkness are ours too.

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TALES OF PANGEA - GOTRASAWALA ENSEMBLE (2015)

After listening to her music in Samarkand (Uzbekistan), Indonesian music producer Franki Randen invited Ana Alcaide to travel to Java island (Indonesia) and join the GOTRASAWALA FESTIVAL, which purpose is to integrate sundanese arts with the international scene. With the objective of a long term music collaboration, Franki gave her all creative freedom to write new music and work with an open group of different musicians and this repertoire was elaborated in two different phases: during november 2013 and october 2014. Both musical and personal interactions among the group generated a natural desire of exchange and an open dialogue that Ana wanted to register, to show the musical complicity that emerged from this encountered and the overcome of the apparent barriers between both worlds. 

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LA CANTIGA DEL FUEGO (2012)

Ana Alcaide’s latest offering, is infused with ancient Sephardic tradition. It explores stories of impossible love between Jews and Christians, ancient legends of the Jewish quarter and exiled travelers who never returned. Inspired by Judeo-Spanish history and the everlasting mark it left on the city of Toledo, Ana Alcaide describes La Cantiga del Fuego as a ‘singer-songwriter’ album for which she composed new songs that delve into the old stories of Sephardic Jews. Drawing listeners in with the unique personal style she established on her previous album (Como la Luna y el Sol), Ana continues to build on her signature sound, incorporating an array of new instruments and collaborations. Ana’s music is a blend of styles that seeks to fuse common links between different musical cultures. Her concerts feature rich soundscapes and a variety of instruments that transport audiences back in time and open a window to ancient traditions and cultures. This album remained 5 months at the 'World Music Charts Europe', the international reference of this genre during 2012 & 2013.

'...A great journey is a reflection of who we are. It forces us to shed layers, to become aware of who we are and to discover our true self. It allows us to hear the powerful ancient voice that continues to echo within us. ‘La cantiga del fuego’ is the voice that has always been there and that guides us on our voyage of self-discovery...'

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LETRAS/ LYRICS

COMO LA LUNA Y EL SOL (2007/2008)

'Como la luna y el Sol'- As the Moon and the Sun- was the result of the final degree project she completed while at the Malmö Academy of Music. This work is inspired by Sephardic tradition and offers listeners Ana´s unique vision of this tradition. Here she starts producing her music. She introduces her voice together with a great variety of instruments and vocal textures. The result is a nostalgic and evocative and album, with elaborated arrangements, made with diligence and care.

...'Like the moon and the sun' is a verse from a sephardic song found in Turkey and it represents to me the relationship that bonds us with all that is remote and unreachable...The connection between the Sephardic people and Sefarad, represents the sense of loss and the constant search of what was loved and remained unobtainable. Their history is the same as all those who left behind what they love as a price for their freedom....The Sephardic people dream of Sefarad, the unobtainable quest, the unreachable, the moon seeking the sun, the dreams od all, the search for what we love but never will have...'

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VIOLA DE TECLAS (2006)

While pursuing her degree in biology, Ana travelled to Sweden where she discovered the nyckelharpa, a traditional Swedish instrument that dates back to the Middle Ages. She fell in love with the instrument and taught herself how to play it on the streets of Toledo, far from its traditional setting. Ana has played a pioneering role in the introduction and popularization of the nyckelharpa in Spain. As a result of her deep connection and experimentation with the instrument, she published her debut album Viola de Teclas in 2006. 'Viola de Teclas' ('nyckelharpa' in spanish) explores the posibilities of this traditional swedish instrument playing spanish music: flamenco and castillian rythms, sephardic pieces, reanasance compositions and a bit of Ana´s own material. The album was produced by Carlos Beceiro (La Musgaña), characterized by traditional arrangements and the naked sound of the 'Viola de Teclas'.

...'I first encountered the nyckelharpa (keyed- fiddle) three years ago, when I traveled to Uppland in Sweden, I then took the instrument to Spain. During that time I had almost no contact with other nyckelharpa players, so I started to study in a self-taught form in Toledo, outside and far away from its typical Swedish tradition. I started to try different musical languages in which its special sound could fit, and thus a searching work beyond traditions and geographies began. This music is a reflection of this particular search...'

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