Inspired by the famous Kurt Weill song, Youkali tells tall tales of love, longing, adventure and discovery, effortlessly drawing from a programme of jazz, folk and flamenco.
Singer Kacey Patrick’s three-octave range is a rare instrument combining sublime intuition and beauty, with instinctive risk taking and vocal soundscapes.
Supporting and interweaving with Kacey’s stunning voice is an instrumental texture created by Spanish guitarist Andrew Veivers and double bassist Andrew Shaw that at times creates a grand cinematic presence before fearlessly embracing adventurous harmonic and lyrical minimalist explorations.
Youkali is an ensemble of seasoned and consummate professionals whose performances take you on a wild and varied sonic journey. Eliciting laughter, tears, sighs and moments of pure auditory delight.
Kacey Patrick (Vocals)
Kacey Patrick is a unique and wondrous vocalist who has evolved her enigmatic sound over a variety of styles, including jazz, folk and world music. Presently based on the Gold Coast (Australia), her professional career has seen her performing at festivals and venues both internationally and throughout Australia. After a five year hiatus to raise her family, Kacey returned to the stage in 2012, performing in the return season of Brisbane Cabaret institution Women In Voice and Women In Voice On Tour. She contributed her remarkable vocal skill to the world premiere of Linsey Pollak’s new work “The Dream of Zedkat Nabu” for the 2012/13 Woodford Folk Festival and has continued to feature as a guest vocalist for the annual Woodford Folk Festival Fire Event.
Kacey’s three-octave vocal range is a rare instrument. A conduit for the voice and sound, Kacey uses her vocal range and abilities to their full, combining sublime vocal intuition and beauty, with instinctive risk taking and vocal soundscapes. Her voice is not merely a communicator of words and lyrics. It is an instrument, both melodic and percussive, with which she creates an evocative and unique musical experience. Her passionate expression, captivating performance, vocal intuition and profound understanding of her instrument, often leads her audience on a deeply connected and bewitching journey where the boundaries between sound and emotion became blurred and indeterminate.
Kacey is best known for her work with guitarist Aaron Hopper in the guitar/vocal duo stringmansassy. From their beginning in 1996, stringmansassy evolved into one of the foremost independent performance duos in the country. Their repertoire, an evocative fusion of jazz and folk, expanded the expected realm of guitar and voice. As stringmansassy, Kacey and Aaron toured extensively throughout Australia, also touring to Germany, Austria, China, Japan, Singapore and New Caledonia. Highlights of their 12 year career included participation as members of the Australian Arts delegation to three World Expos (Hannover 2000, Aichi 2005, Shanghai 2010). After 12 years in the spotlight, stringmansassy ceased performing in 2008, but regrouped in 2010 for World EXPO 2010 in Shanghai and the 25th Anniversary of the Woodford Folk Festival. They also graced the stage in 2012 for the National Folk Festival in Canberra. stringmansassy released four recordings – ‘Persuasion’ 2000, ‘Beautiful Day’ 2002, ‘Dragonfly’ 2004 and ‘The Live Experience’ 2008.
In recent years, Kacey has pursued her passion for world music with acclaimed ensembles The Saruzu Quartet, FIJ (Flamenco Indo Jazz) and Dva (Linsey Pollak and Tunji Beier).
In 2011, Kacey was invited to perform a specially commissioned work for the Tyalgum Festival of Classical Music. Composer Ann Carr Boyd wrote the work ‘Tyalgum Dawn’ for Kacey and the Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra. Kacey’s lyrics and text were also used for the composition.
Andrew Veivers (Guitar)
From the beginning, Andrew Veivers has combined the traditional study of flamenco with the formal training of the classical guitar. After graduating with a Bachelor of Music in 1993 from the University of Queensland, Veivers spent many years studying, teaching and performing in London, Madrid and Amsterdam.
Building on his understanding and experiences within the flamenco idiom, Andrew has developed a very personal and clearly identifiable compositional style. His passion for both the classical and flamenco worlds of music, song, and dance have resulted in compositions that stylistically draw inspiration from greats as diverse as Manolo Sanlucar, Steve Reich, and Manuel de Falla while retaining a clearly individual lilt. Deeply rhythmical, harmonically adventurous, and unashamedly lyrical, the architecture of Veivers' compositions reflects his ability to seamlessly join the rigorous research of a topic with the emotive goal and direction of a lyric or melody.
Andrew’s recent commissioned compositional credits include – a major community orchestral work for 2018 Fires on Top of Mountains (Scenic Rim Regional Council), a new translation of Garcia Lorca's 'Blood Wedding' (Sydney Theatre Company 2011), major community orchestral works for the Woodford Folk Festival (2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20), an orchestral work commissioned by Sunshine Coast Council celebrating life on the Sunshine Coast (2015), community orchestra works for Cygnet Folk Festival, The Festival of Voices and Festuri Multicultural Celebration, Cairns Festival (2014), 'Al-Andaluz' (Flamenco Fire 2010), Gypsy Pathways' (Flamenco Fire 2012), Viva Sevilla (Flamenco Fire 2016), Viente Años (Flamenco Fire 2019) and the Floating Land Festival (2013).
Performed by Youkali - Andrew Veivers (guitar) & Kacey Patrick (vocals)
Music and lyrics by Joni Mitchell
Live recording by Paulie B. at Yama-Nui Studio
Filming by Antony Dyer - Raw Mint
Produced by Red Chair July 2020