BLISK
CÉLEST LÉVIS
24min | English | Igal Hecht
24min | English | Igal Hecht
BLISK debuted in December of 2017, at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto where they opened for JUNO-nominated Turkwaz. Their sound is described as a musical journey traveling through Ukraine, Poland, Russia, the Balkans, and beyond. The Toronto-based, all-female trio was brought together by a deep love and respect for the ancient songs and dances of these regions, bringing the tunes to life in the modern world through unique original compositions, storytelling, dance, and distinctive arrangements of traditional folk music.
The band’s original compositions are inspired by the countries from which the members hail – Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Canada. These are seamlessly intertwined and paired with traditional Eastern European and Balkan repertoire that crosses cultural borders. Throughout their performance, the band regularly shares stories about the ancient rituals and folklore from which the songs originate, which is important to the group. As a result, the storytelling aspect of the show adds rich cultural value to the set.
Céleste Lévis is a fluently bilingual singer-songwriter from Timmins, Ontario with black belt in karate! With greatly trained hands thanks to her martial arts pursuits, her parents bought her a piano which she took to immediately. She picked up the guitar as well and began writing songs, eventually winning a couple of contests. Céleste relocated to Ottawa to become a student of mathematics and pursue a bachelor’s degree. A couple years ago, she released an English-language dance-pop song, The Ghost of You and I which attracted some buzz.
Until now, Céleste’s fingers having done most of the talking but it was her thick syrupy vocals that landed her a spot in The Voice. Céleste was subsequently invited to record an album at Tandem Records. That album, simply titled Céleste, is out now! Her music style often switches from Anglo to Franco and from dance-pop to folk-pop.
