Omnia (band)
Encyclopedia
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
, 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.
and wrote a song named Cornwall about his homeland. 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 supercouple
s 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.
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.
Neofolk
Neofolk is a form of folk music-inspired experimental music that emerged from post-industrial music circles. Neofolk can either be solely acoustic folk music or a blend of acoustic folk instrumentation aided by varieties of accompanying sounds such as pianos, strings and elements of industrial...
" 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
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
and Persia.
They sing in Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
, English, Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
, Breton
Breton language
Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
, Finnish, German, Latin and Hindi and play Celtic harp, mouth harp, hurdy gurdy
Hurdy gurdy
The hurdy gurdy or hurdy-gurdy is a stringed musical instrument that produces sound by a crank-turned rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to a violin...
, bodhrán
Bodhrán
The bodhrán is an Irish frame drum ranging from 25 to 65 cm in diameter, with most drums measuring 35 to 45 cm . The sides of the drum are 9 to 20 cm deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side...
, guitar, bouzouki
Bouzouki
The bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
, didgeridoo
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
, flutes of all kinds, bagpipes
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
, various drums and percussion instruments.
Present band line-up
- Steve "Sic" Evans van der Harten (lead vocals, double fluteDouble flute (disambiguation)A double flute is a wind instrument with two resonant pipes or tubes played simultaneously. Some forms of double flute include* the ancient Greek aulos* the Bulgarian dvoyanka* the Indian pungi...
, overtone fluteOvertone fluteOvertone flute refers to a type of a flute which lacks playing holes, and so can only produce notes from a natural scale. Lacking holes, the tube of such a flute has much higher resonance Q factor than a tube of standard flutes, and so can produce dozens of upper harmonics , making it possible to...
, whistleWhistleA whistle or call is a simple aerophone, an instrument which produces sound from a stream of forced air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means...
, bouzoukiBouzoukiThe bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
, darbukka, dombek, davulDavulThe davul or tupan is a large double-headed drum that is played with sticks. It has many names depending on the country and region.-Names:Some names of davuls include:*tupan *davul...
, mouth harp) - Jennifer "Jenny" Evans van der Harten (lead vocals, Celtic Tall HarpHarpThe harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
, PianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, Hurdy gurdyHurdy gurdyThe hurdy gurdy or hurdy-gurdy is a stringed musical instrument that produces sound by a crank-turned rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to a violin...
, BodhránBodhránThe bodhrán is an Irish frame drum ranging from 25 to 65 cm in diameter, with most drums measuring 35 to 45 cm . The sides of the drum are 9 to 20 cm deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side...
, Hammered DulcimerHammered dulcimerThe hammered dulcimer is a stringed musical instrument with the strings stretched over a trapezoidal sounding board. Typically, the hammered dulcimer is set on a stand, at an angle, before the musician, who holds small mallet hammers in each hand to strike the strings...
) - Philip Steenbergen (acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, DADGADDADGADDADGAD, D modal tuning or Celtic tuning is an alternative guitar tuning most associated with Celtic music, though it has also found use in rock and other genres. Instead of the standard EADGBE tuning, the six guitar strings are tuned, from low to high, 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 (acrobaticsAcrobaticsAcrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, as well as many sports...
and jugglingJugglingJuggling is a skill involving moving objects for entertainment or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, in which the juggler throws objects up to catch and toss up again. This may be one object or many objects, at the same time with one or many hands. Jugglers often refer...
) - 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, violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
) - Tom "Tommy" Spaan (drums and percussion)
- Joseph "Joe" Hennon (DADGAD guitar)
- Maral Haggimoni (vocals, danceDanceDance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, percussion)
Discography
- Sine MissioneSine MissioneSine Missione is the first album by Dutch Pagan folk band Omnia, recorded in 1999 and released in 2000. It was supposed to be an archeologically and historically promotional CD and not to be used for the popular market. It contains constructions of Roman and Gallo-Roman music...
(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 mythologyCeltic mythologyCeltic mythology is the mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the religion of the Iron Age Celts. Like other Iron Age Europeans, the early Celts maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure...
, e.g. the Mabon festival and gods such as CernunnosCernunnosCernunnos is the conventional name given in Celtic studies to depictions of the horned god of Celtic polytheism. The name itself is only attested once, on the 1st-century Pillar of the Boatmen, but depictions of a horned or antlered figure, often seated in a "lotus position" and often associated...
and TaranisTaranisIn Celtic mythology Taranis was the god of thunder worshipped essentially in Gaul, the British Isles, but also in the Rhineland and Danube regions amongst others, and mentioned, along with Esus and Toutatis as part of a sacred triad, by the Roman poet Lucan in his epic poem Pharsalia as a Celtic...
. - Live Religion (2005, PaganScum records) - Live album recorded in a church with one microphoneMicrophoneA microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
. - PaganFolk (2006, PaganScum records) - An album with numerous traditional instruments employed. The style has been compared to the music of the German band FaunFaun (band)Faun is a German band formed in 2002 who play pagan folk, darkwave and medieval music. The originality of their music style is that they fall back to "old" instruments, and the singing is always the center of attention. The vocals are performed in a variety of languages, including German, Latin,...
. - Cybershaman (2007, PaganScum records) - A remix album featuring 8 Omnia songs in Trance musicTrance musicTrance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
and Electronic styleElectronic musicElectronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
. - Alive! (2007 PaganScum records). - The witches scene from ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's MacbethMacbethThe Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
, "The RavenThe Raven"The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in January 1845. It is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a talking raven's mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing the man's slow descent into madness...
" by Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
and a poem by Lewis Caroll were set to music on this release. The artwork was created together with Alan Lee. - History (2007 PaganScum records) (American samplerSampler albumA sampler is a type of compilation album generally offered at a reduced price to showcase a selection of artists signed to a particular record label...
) - 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
- 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 . "JabberwockyJabberwocky"Jabberwocky" is a nonsense verse poem written by Lewis Carroll in his 1872 novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, a sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...
" by Lewis Caroll was set to music on this release. - 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 classicClassicThe word classic means something that is a perfect example of a particular style, something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality. The word can be an adjective or a noun . It denotes a particular quality in art, architecture, literature and other cultural artifacts...
Wim SonneveldWim SonneveldWillem 'Wim' Sonneveld was a Dutch cabaret artist and singer. Together with Toon Hermans and Wim Kan, he is considered to be one of the 'Great Three' of Dutch cabaret. Sonneveld is generally viewed as a Dutch cultural icon for his work and legacy in theatre, musicals and music...
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.
Links related to songs performed by Omnia
- An DroAn DroAn dro or en dro is a Breton folk dance in 4/4.-Technique:The dancers link little fingers in a long line, swinging their arms, and moving to their left by taking longer steps in that direction than when stepping right...
- LughnasadhLughnasadhLughnasadh is a traditional Gaelic holiday celebrated on 1 August. It is in origin a harvest festival, corresponding to the Welsh Calan Awst and the English Lammas.-Name:...
- MabonMabonMabon may refer to:*Mabon , the Autumnal equinox in some versions of the Wheel of the Year*Mabyn or Mabon, an early Cornish saint*Mabon ap Modron, a figure in Welsh Arthurian legend-People with the name:...
- MorríganMorríganThe Morrígan or Mórrígan , also written as Morrígu or in the plural as Morrígna, and spelt Morríghan or Mór-Ríoghain in Modern Irish, is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have once been a goddess, although she is not explicitly referred to as such in the texts.The Morrigan is a goddess...
- Odi et Amo
- Teutates
- Twa Corbiez (a version of The Three Ravens)
- DúlamánDúlamánDúlamán is the third studio album by Irish folk group Clannad. It was released in 1976. It is named for its first track, a rendition of the Irish folk song, Dúlamán.-Track listing:# "Dúlamán" – 4:34# "Cumha Eoghain Rua Uí Néill" – 4:09...
- Bealtaine
Trivia
Sic hails from CornwallCornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
and wrote a song named Cornwall about his homeland. During gigs by Omnia the Cornish flag
Saint Piran's Flag
Saint Piran's Flag is the flag of Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. The earliest known description of the flag as the Standard of Cornwall was written in 1838. It is used by Cornish people as a symbol of identity. It is a white cross on a black background....
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 supercouple
Supercouple
A supercouple or super couple is a popular or financially wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or even obsessive fashion...
s such as Brangelina
Brangelina
Brangelina is a celebrity supercouple consisting of American actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Pitt has appeared in over 40 major films, including 12 Monkeys , Ocean's Eleven , and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , while Jolie has appeared in over 30 major films, including Girl, Interrupted...
). 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.
Omnia is heavily involved in the organisation of the Dutch Festival of Castlefest
Castlefest
Castlefest is a medieval/fantasy festival in the Netherlands, held in the first weekend of August in the gardens of Castle Keukenhof in Lisse since 2005. The festival takes part during 3 days on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with a opening concert on Thursday...
. 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
Wicker
Wicker is hard woven fiber formed into a rigid material, usually used for baskets or furniture. Wicker is often made of material of plant origin, but plastic fibers are also used....
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
- Music of the NetherlandsMusic of the NetherlandsThe Netherlands has multiple musical traditions. Contemporary Dutch popular music is heavily influenced by music styles that emerged in the 1950s, in the United Kingdom and United States. The style is sung in both Dutch and English...
- Music of CornwallMusic of CornwallCornwall has been historically Celtic, though Celtic-derived musical traditions had been moribund for some time before being revived during a late 20th century roots revival.-History:...
- PaganismPaganismPaganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
- Celtic NeopaganismCeltic NeopaganismCeltic Neopaganism refers to Neopagan movements based on Celtic polytheism.-Types of Celtic Neopaganism:*Neo-druidism, grew out of the Celtic revival in 18th century Romanticism....
- Pagan rockPagan rockPagan rock is music created by adherents of one of the many Neopagan and occult traditions that emerged in the middle to late 20th century. In some cases this definition is stretched to include bands embraced by modern Pagans and occult practitioners...