Lullabies CD
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Lullaby albums are traditionally the domain of doting mothers and sensitive dads.
However, Appollonia Vanova’s new Lullabies CD successfully side steps such usual expectations for this much-stereotyped genre. It stands out from the pack by being as much about art, as it is soothing sounds for sleepless little ones.
For starters, Vanova is by no means your average children’s music artist. She was born in the former Czechoslovakia, and is most famous for her increasingly successful acting career, which includes the role of Silhouette in the film Watchmen, the role of Natasha in the hit TV show Insecurity. In addition to singing and acting, Vanova is also an accomplished sculptor.
Lullabies is filled with both familiar and relatively unknown lullabies, which are set to largely classical instrumentation, including viola, harp and piano accompaniment. The album is striking sonically, largely because of Vanova’s eclectic musical tastes. “I love and have been influenced by a variety of different types of music,” she explains, “ranging from the virtuosic complexities of Baroque music, to passionate compositions of
Beethoven, to the rhythms of rock and roll, jazz and blues.” In addition to Vanova’s many classical influences, she also counts singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen, rapper Eminem, rocker Led Zeppelin and country icon Johnny Cash as inspirations. “Great music can transport me into a different mood in an instant,” Vanova adds. With so many wildly-differing favorites, it’s not difficult to understand why the sky is seemingly the limit when it comes to Vanova’s truly expansive artistic range.
Much like many other adult performers, Vanova started learning music as a small child. “My interest in music was nourished from a very early age,” she relays, “with piano lessons and also with singing performances during festivals, holidays and special events starting in public school.”
With all her talent, Vanova has the artistic means to go just about anywhere she pleases, creatively. This is why you might say Lullabies came together relatively unexpectedly.
“I never had a dream of producing a lullaby album,” Vanova admits. “I chose to create this album because it was the right thing for me to do; it was the right medium at this time in my life to create with. The songs chosen, the mood evoked and the cover art have deep meaning to my art as a whole.”
The result is one highly personal album, straight from Vanova’s heart. Each and every song was chosen with great care. “Some came from my childhood, and when I sang them in the studio for the first time, the nostalgia caused me to burst into tears,” she confesses. “I did not choose them because they are popular and that is what the audience would want to hear. I recorded this album at one of the most vulnerable times in my life and I think that vulnerability comes across in the voice. A new baby was born into our family and there was great joy. But at the same time, my pet (who was like my baby) was dying and I had to let him go. So this album is about unconditional love. The softness and magic that comes from having a baby or unconditional love, is contrasted with the underlying anxiety of protecting the innocence, knowing the trials and tribulations of life.”
Any time an album can touch upon life, death and the full range of human emotion, it’s truly something special. When an album comprised of lullabies achieves such lofty goals, however, it’s a rare find and a true treasure. Lullabies is just such a special album; one that only someone as uniquely talented as Appollonia Vanova could create.
Shoetease: Heels, Shoes & Chains by Apollonia Vanova
Source: Shoetease
Amazing artist & Renaissance woman Apollonia Vanova recently held a show in Toronto & happy was I to see shoe-inspired art! We all know how much I like to document such fine things.
A graduate from the Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, Apollonia majored in Sculpture and also travelled to Italy to work as an apprentice to sculptor Tomasso Gismondi. She opened up Vano inc. when she came back to the Canadian homeland, where she designed and produced large ceramic murals. Her first commission was at (WOW!) age 19! Since then, she has worked in various media including bronze, steel, leather, oil and acrylic.
Blast Magazine: Watchmen’s Silhouette: Apollonia Vanova
Date: March 2, 2009
Source: Blast Magazine
By: Terri Schwartz
When the film adaptation of the graphic novel sensation “Watchmen” was first announced, the main concern was whether director Zack Snyder could pull off a successful adaptation of Alan Moore’s iconic word.
Key among those concerns was whether the Minutemen — a group of superheroes founded in 1939 and pivotal to the story of “Watchmen” — would be included in the final product.
Blast got a chance to watch the first 18 minutes of “Watchmen” at New York Comic Con a few weeks ago and saw for ourselves that Snyder did manage to pull of a balance of attention to detail and concrete storytelling. The Minutemen were heavily featured in the opening minutes of the film; heroine Silhouette prominent among them.
CoilHouse: Apollonia Vanova: Striking Silhouette
Source: CoilHouse Magazine
I’ll admit it was my not-exactly-inner lecherous 13 year old that initially prompted me to look up Watchmen the movie’s Silhouette. I’ve always loved this character’s look and story.
The actress playing Silhouette was so striking with her severe hair, shiny gloves and stiletto boots that I couldn’t help myself. Of course much of the credit for her perfect appearance should go to costume designer Michael Wilkinson, but the feline grace in every second of Silhouette’s brief screen time is definitely the actress’ own.
Examiner.com: A Conversation with Watchmen’s Silhouette, Apollonia Vanova
Source: Examiner.com
By: Mike Parker
Native Slovakian Renaissance woman, Apollonia Vanova may be best known as an award winning mezzo-soprano in such operas as La Finta Giardiniera, Suor Angelica, and Rigoletto. But Ms. Vanova is also an accomplished sculptor and sought after actress on both the small and big screen. The buzz about the multi-talented lady is about to reach epic proportions as Apollonia assumes the role of Silhouette in the eagerly anticipated blockbuster, Watchmen. Silhouette joined Dollar Bill and Hooded Justice as one of the eight masked adventurers in the Minutemen, the premier group of superheroes throughout the 1940s that disbanded after several public scandals. Silhouette was the first female of the crew and could be distinguished by her basic black ensemble – from her hair to her heels, and her bright red belt.
