Grenadilla

Grenadilla: Kwela is for kids (and grownups, too!)
by Peter Aaron

The word kwela is a derivation of khwela, a Zulu and Xhosa word meaning “come on,” a term used by South African musicians to motivate fellow players and audiences during a performance. Kwela is also the name for the South Africa’s deliriously upbeat folk music—which just might be the happiest-sounding music on the planet. Filled with chirping pennywhistles, unison singing, and a distinctively buoyant shuffling rhythm, kwela evolved during the 1940s and ’50s out of the earlier, jazz-influenced urban “township” style known as marabi. And, believe it or not there’s a group making this very same infectious and supremely happy sound right here in the Hudson Valley: Grenadilla, a multi-voiced family music ensemble led by singer and music teacher Debbie Lan.

“Where I grew up kwela is the music of the streets, so it was always around,” says Lan, who was born and raised in Cape Town. “It’s fun music that anyone can play, no matter what their age or ability might be. So it’s very much a family-friendly music.”

Lan founded Grenadilla (South African for passion fruit) in January of last year and the group has quickly become one of the brightest new names on the “kindie” music scene. Last spring the band released its self-titled debut album, which recently hit number 13 on Sirius XM satellite radio’s “Kids Place Live” chart. Among the disc’s 15 euphoric singalong tracks are such sunny, positive-messaged songs as “Peace Will Come,” “Be Yourself,” and “Arabella Angelique,” not to mention an uplifting version of the Zulu traditional “Babethandeza” (“Grandmother”). The group also contributed a cut to the recent compilation Many Hands: Family Music for Haiti (Spare the Rock Records), a benefit album for Haitian earthquake victims that also stars Pete Seeger, Dan Zanes, They Might Be Giants, and many other heavy family music friends.

For live appearances the group tailors its lineup to the suit the occasion and the availability of its members, but for the sessions for Grenadilla (Independent) the ranks include Lan on lead vocal, piano, and pennywhistle; singers Annmarie Callan, Brittany Sacash, and Natasha Williams; singers/pennywhistlers Leah Glennon and Jodi Palinkas; guitarist and bassist Ken McGloin, who also heads Poughkeepsie Day School’s adjunct music department; and journeyman drummer Dean Sharp, who has played with everyone from Moby to Marc Ribot to Jane Siberry. (Drummers T Xiques and Chris Cullo have also appeared with Grenadilla; Lan’s husband, Bryan Gunn, is the band’s live sound engineer.)

“What I love most about playing with Grenadilla is the lushness of the vocals,” says Sharp. “It’s interesting for me because we try to keep the music as authentic as possible, which I really appreciate because for years I’ve loved juju and a lot of other African music.”

Lan studied music, released an album, and even had some pop hits in her native country before immigrating to Nashville in 1987, where she did the requisite songwriter’s stint on the Music City scene. In the early ’90s she moved to the Hudson Valley, where she’s since worked as a backup vocalist for Robbie Dupree, Livingston Taylor, and Artie Traum, and currently teaches music at High Meadow School in Stone Ridge. Lan also sings with Callan, Sacash, Williams, Glennon, and Palinkas in the 20-strong (and growing) adult voice ensemble Bloom, and oversees the youth voice group Blossom.

In addition to performing at local school and community functions and gatherings like the Rosendale Street and Clearwater festivals, Grenadilla has lately been making its spirited, multi-voiced presence known well beyond the group’s home turf. Besides performing on Sirius XM’s “Kids Place Live” and attending Brooklyn’s KindieFest music conference, the band has drawn raves from leading kids music website MinivanBlues.com and—perhaps best of all—from parents and teachers around the country.

“This music is all about community spirit,” says Lan. “People can be self-conscious about trying to make music, worry about whether or not they’re tone deaf and think that they have to be trained ‘musicians’ just to play for fun. But that’s not true. [Grenadilla’s members] want to encourage all people to make music a part of their daily lives. We want them to see that through music they can be part of something much larger.”

Grenadilla will perform with Dan Zanes, Elizabeth Mitchell, Rani Arbo, Daisy Mayhem, and others at a release party for Many Hands: Family Music for Haiti at the Pines Theater in Northampton, Massachusetts, on September 26. www.grenadillasings.com.



- Roll Magazine

“Grenadilla is an amazing band with six incredible women singing lovingly and joyfully to you. Led by warm-hearted songwriter Debbie Lan, Grenadilla shines with beautiful melodies, inspiring lyrics and a South African lilt and rhythm to it all.
Instant sunshine for your soul!” Elizabeth Mitchell

- Elizabeth Mitchell - Smithsonian Recording Artist

Grenadilla is a miracle of a band. How did it happen, getting so many beautiful voices to work together on such joyous and jaunty music? The idea came from South African native Debbie Lan. The music has that South African kwela sound, which is one of the most incredibly exciting sounds ever to have been invented. When I hear the original kwela music, I can't believe humans thought to create this positive, infectious art form. And hearing Grenadilla I think, "why aren't more people making this music?" Probably because it takes a lot of practice and more importantly, sincerity. Grenadilla, with 6 female voices, pennywhistles, piano, bass and drums, makes it just sound fun, not difficult. That's the miracle. - Dean Jones - Producer, Songwriter, Musician

First published in the Blue Stone Press, June 19, 2009
This upcoming weekend of June 20 and 21 marks the 40th anniversary of the famed music and environmental festival Clearwater, The Great Hudson River Revival. On deck will be Grenadilla, a new aggregate of eight local musicians, hailing originally from as close in as Stone Ridge, Kripplebush, High Falls and Walker Valley to as far yonder as the African continent. Grenadilla members are Debbie Lan (vocals, pennywhistle, piano, arrangements), Jodi Palinkas, Leah Glennon, (vocals, pennywhistle) Annmarie Callan, Brittany Sacash, Natasha Williams (all on vocals), Ken McGloin (bass and guitar) and Dean Sharp (drums and percussion). The community will recognize the names of Grenadilla’s singers and instrumentalists from friendships formed at High Meadow School, Bloom Ensemble, Dog on Fleas and professional appearances around the county.

Grenadilla is the creation of Debbie Lan, singer and arranger, long time composer/lyricist of captivating songs for all ages, pianist and percussionist. Lan imbues the repertoire with the spice and tang of “kwela,” a music indigenous to Cape Town in South Africa, her homeland.

This weekend’s Festival highlights Pete Seeger’s 90th year and the ongoing work of protecting the Hudson River through advocacy and public education. Lan, a veteran Clearwater performer, treasures the festival for its musical diversity and wealth of environmentally friendly information. Grenadilla will bring propulsive “kwela” spirit and scintillation to the Family Stage at 12 p.m. on Saturday, June 20. Festival goers can expect to hear them play such originals as I’d Rather be Singing; Got Light; and Arabella Angelique, a paradoxical portrait in which the performers step, jump and gesture, all the while singing of inertia, lassitude, even malaise. With a nod to the great Belfast song man, the group will also cover Van Morrison’s, “I Shall Sing,” which opens with a soaring vocal trio that pulls audiences in and holds them until the last note drifts away.

- Blue Stone Press

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant songwriting, October 27, 2010

By Valerie Hudson (New York)

"Grenadilla" may be intended primarily as an album for young listeners, and it will definitely appeal to them, but it is also pure pleasure for all ages! The sound is utterly fresh, flavored by Debbie Lan's Capetown background and filtered through the sensibility of someone who evidently knows about life and love and family. The melodies and harmonies are deceptively simple and addictively sing-able--deceptive because in fact the songwriting is highly sophisticated and the arrangements are brilliant. *I'd give this recording to any kid I know, with the knowledge that their parents will be playing it repeatedly even when the kids aren't around.
- Amazon

Kids Music Review... Folksy Rock by Grenadilla
I love the opportunity to share new music, so today I'd like to take the opportunity to introduce Kwela-based music collective Grenadilla. I've enjoyed several listens to their self-titled CD now and it's been very well received in our household. These guys have a folksy rock feel, with energetic vibrant tracks that are even at times reminiscent of gospel harmonies.

So what is Kwela? It's an indigenous South African style of music marked by "joyful, bubbly rhythms and birdlike pennywhistles". Grenadilla describe their music as "layered voices and rhythms flavoured with kwela, textured with Cape Town jive and subtle hints of the blues". I think that's a rather apt description.

I particularly like the first song on the album "be yourself". The lyrics are upbeat and catchy, and it gives a positive message that will be embraced by the young ones (before they hit the difficult pre-teen/teen phase). I also like track 7, "Got Light", it's definitely a sing-a-long classic. However, I the biggest hit in the household is Arabella Angelique for it's funky beat and catchy tune. It's got a pop feel to it and reminds me of the schoolyard rhymes that we used to sing in primary school.

Even on my first listen I find myself singing along happily, tapping my feet, nodding my head* and yes, okay* I'll admit it, dancing my way down the hallway to make my mid-morning coffee. Admittedly, I was dancing with the dog as I was home alone at the time. Hey, you've gotta keep life fun, right? This is a CD that is fun to play to the kids, and would be a great sing-a-long {and dance-a-long} album for parties or road trips. However, if you're a fan of folksy rock, you might just find yourself popping it in the CD player to enjoy all by yourself.

You can listen to a couple of Grenadilla tracks online, download them at iTunes or find their CD at your favourite online CD store.
- Kidindependant - Indie Style for mums, babies and kids

Kids Music Review... Folksy Rock by Grenadilla
I love the opportunity to share new music, so today I'd like to take the opportunity to introduce Kwela-based music collective Grenadilla. I've enjoyed several listens to their self-titled CD now and it's been very well received in our household. These guys have a folksy rock feel, with energetic vibrant tracks that are even at times reminiscent of gospel harmonies.

So what is Kwela? It's an indigenous South African style of music marked by "joyful, bubbly rhythms and birdlike pennywhistles". Grenadilla describe their music as "layered voices and rhythms flavoured with kwela, textured with Cape Town jive and subtle hints of the blues". I think that's a rather apt description.

I particularly like the first song on the album "be yourself". The lyrics are upbeat and catchy, and it gives a positive message that will be embraced by the young ones (before they hit the difficult pre-teen/teen phase). I also like track 7, "Got Light", it's definitely a sing-a-long classic. However, I the biggest hit in the household is Arabella Angelique for it's funky beat and catchy tune. It's got a pop feel to it and reminds me of the schoolyard rhymes that we used to sing in primary school.

Even on my first listen I find myself singing along happily, tapping my feet, nodding my head* and yes, okay* I'll admit it, dancing my way down the hallway to make my mid-morning coffee. Admittedly, I was dancing with the dog as I was home alone at the time. Hey, you've gotta keep life fun, right? This is a CD that is fun to play to the kids, and would be a great sing-a-long {and dance-a-long} album for parties or road trips. However, if you're a fan of folksy rock, you might just find yourself popping it in the CD player to enjoy all by yourself.

You can listen to a couple of Grenadilla tracks online, download them at iTunes or find their CD at your favourite online CD store.


- Kidindependant - Indie style for mums, babies and kids

Hilltown Family Variety Show Top 10 of 2010
'We first saw the Grenadilla troupe perform on the family stage at the Clearwater Music Festival this summer, and we were hooked! South African born Debbie Lan brought her influence of Kwela music to the Hudson Valley and started Grenadilla, named after the South African passion fruit. Several vocalists joined her and this fabulous new group was born. Their debut self-titled CD is upbeat and happy, filled with beautiful harmonies and accented with percussion and the penny whistle.'
- Hilltown Family Variety Show