A BAND named after the island’s capital will play its first gig here tomorrow night.
From Barcelona, Nikosia will play at the University of Nicosia in a charity concert to raise money for children in Africa.
According to Francesc Miralles, one of the founders of the band, the name first came to his attention when he was a student at the University of Barcelona and was good friends with a Cypriot who lived next door.
“The name was among five or six place names which we were considering as names for the band. We wanted a feminine name, as four of Nikosia’s members are women,” he said.
“I had visited Nicosia twice before the band formed and loved it,” he added. “The name is also symbolic as Nicosia is the last divided city in Europe.”
The band experiments with different genres of music including, folk, existential pop and mystic lyricism. Miralles says the band came to existence in an attempt to play and experiment with new sounds, creating a musical fusion he classifies as “alternative folk”.
Nikosia’s first album, The Long Journey of Wolves includes tracks with strong classical influences, as well as pieces with very dramatic vocals. All the songs are written in English, despite the Catalonian origins of the band’s members.
“Every musical style has its proper language,” Miralles said. “For the world of pop and modern folk music, English is the perfect language. It also makes it easier for audiences out of Spain to understand our songs, and connect with our music.”
Miralles is also a writer and his latest novel, Retrum, was translated in eight languages in only three months. It tells the story of four young people as they travel through Europe and visit cemeteries. Its plot was inspired by one of Nikosia’s songs, ‘When We Were Dead’.
For their concert in Cyprus, Nikosia are planning some pieces of Spanish classical music, continuing with alternative folk songs in a mellow style that is typical of the band.
Nikosia play live at the University of Nicosia. Tomorrow at 9pm. €10, proceeds will go to the Sophia Foundation for Children. There will also be wine, sangria and Spanish food available in addition to a raffle to win a trip to Barcelona
