Duo Zikr

Duo Zikr is a vocal duo which perform a queer style of ritual, shamanic, scat vocalese that embraces traditions and techniques borrowed from Asiatic singing and Muslim and Buddhist chants to create a range of sound and tones almost equal to that of a symphony orchestra. Vocal compositions of the duo consists of loud and quiet sounds accompanied by a piano: church chants meet spirituals, combined with throat singing and avant-garde music.

Origins
Duo Zikr is the duet of vocal improvisations of Igor Silin and Olga Tkachenko - the only Magic Theatre of Voice in the world whose art compels the audience to experience the whole range of human emotions. “Zikr” is Arabian for “Prayer” – a spiritual practice aimed at revelation of an internal sense of divine presence. The Art of Igor and Olga unites profound philosophy and unique combinations of vocal techniques with chamber and folk vocals, Tibetan Mantra vocal techniques, Tuvan guttural singing, Sufi Zikr, Orthodox rites and more. The vocal range of the duet composes 4 octaves.

Duo Zikr was created in the early 1990s. The opening performance of the magic theatre took place in 1993 in St. Petersburg at Smolny Cathedral.

One rare event when the soloists of the Magic Theatre of Voice sang concrete words instead of spontaneous syllables and sounds was the soundtrack to “The Song about the Cheese Spirit”, an animated cartoon by famous fable of Aesop “The Fox and the Crow”.



The Duo has performed concerts in the USA, France, Italy, England, Finland, Slovakia, Israel, Australia and other places around the globe.

Jim Bessman, special correspondent for BILLBOARD magazine (NY, USA) - “Apart from dynamic improvisations making the visitors experience unique feelings, there is one more thing about the Duo. That is an astonishing attraction of the passion in the very voices and the manner of the performing”.

In 2007 Igor and Olga launched an experimental project that later on had grown to a full-scale music band called FireVoices. The sextet of male singers has been learning Duo Zikr's unique vocal technique (“Freevoice”) and individually as well as jointly with the duet they have staged over 50 concerts in France, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Cyprus, Russian and Ukraine.



Olga Tkachenko
Olga completed the course at Kyiv-based Institute of Dramatic Art named after Karpenko-Kary.

Igor Silin
Igor Kalinauskas (Silin is his stage-name) graduated with honors from the drama school named after Schukin, Directing faculty, in Moscow.



1000 Friends of Duo Zikr club
The crowdfunding club was established in late 2016 as an attempt to help duo Zikr's concert managers throughout Europe to pool funds together and ensure as many events as possible! Club's official page can be found on Facebook (see ref below).



Discography

 * Pulsar (2015)
 * Sky's Jump (2014)
 * Ocean (2013)
 * 2000 years passed: faces faded, light remained (2012)
 * Magic River (2012)
 * Voice Message (2008)
 * The Breath of Space (2008)
 * Angels in the city (2008)
 * Premonitions of a Shooting (2007)
 * Sound of Magic (2007)
 * Soul in the arms of God (2005)
 * Happy happy Crazy (2005)
 * Spring Journey (2005)
 * Place of Power (2004)
 * Mystery of the Fire (2003)
 * In Search of Light - disk 1, Our century (2001)
 * In Search of Light - disk 2, A journey to the love (2001)
 * Free Flight (2000)
 * Duo Zikr (1998)
 * The Wandering of souls (1998)
 * To the twilight of times (1998)
 * To the beginning of times (1998)
 * The Wormwood star (1996)
 * Vertical Section (1996)
 * Creation of the World (1996)
 * Time that Dances (1996)
 * Mystery of the Cup (1994)
 * Voices (1994)

Awards and Festivals
Duo Zikr has taken part in various international music festivals
 * SyncSummit 2014, Paris, France
 * MIDEM 2013, Cannes, France
 * MIDEM 2011, Cannes, France
 * MIDEM 2010, Canes, France
 * BID, Berlin, Germany
 * Christmas meetings in the Northern Palmira, St. Petersburg, Russia
 * MANIFECTI, Turku, Finland;
 * MEDIAWAVE, Djer, Hungary;
 * ITF, Monastery, Tunisia;
 * Golden Autumn, Slavutych, Ukraine;
 * SXSW, Ostin, Texas, USA