Hot on the heels of his European and Asian tour, Canadian musician Tennyson King is back in Canada and will be in Revelstoke on Aug. 13 and 14.
On August 13, King will join Chris Noble and yoga instructor Marina Rachinski at Balu Yoga Studio for a sound journey workshop. King and Noble will provide the music as Rachinski guides practitioners in a yin yoga class.
Tennyson鈥檚 Chinese ancestry influences his music both on the stage and during workshops such as the one on Aug.13 as he employs elements of Qigong breath work with sounds from his Zhongruan. The Zhongruan is a Chinese plucked string instrument. The Zhongruan will be blended with vocals and piano sounds by Noble, a sound healer.
Combining sound therapy with performance isn鈥檛 new for King. It鈥檚 something that he likes to offer when he鈥檚 touring and has combined his stage talents with sound healing at music festivals such as Shambhala In Your Heart Festival, Steamboat Mountain Music Festival, Vancouver Island MusicFest and Knockengorroch Festival.
King is excited to be working with a local teacher, Rachinski.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a really cool collaboration for the mind and the body,鈥� said King.
The sound journey will take place at 7:30 p.m. and costs $39.
Following the sound journey, King will take the stage at Grizzly Plaza as a part of the RevyLive music series.
King has performed twice before in Revelstoke and keeps coming back as he is enamoured by both Revelstoke鈥檚 mountains and its charm.
鈥淭he people who come out and support live music always have such a great vibe鈥nd are really appreciative of live music,鈥� said King.
And that gratitude keeps King coming back.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited for the opportunity and grateful to get to come back and play for everyone and connect with everyone,鈥� said King.
King also felt grateful during his stops in Asia, such as Taiwan, to have the opportunity to share his Chinese culture with an audience of similar cultures. King was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Ontario.
The traditional Chinese part of his music comes from the Zhongruan which is fused with sounds of Western folk and Indie folk. King sings songs in Chinese as well.
For King, fusing Western musical influences with his Chinese background is a homecoming.
鈥淚鈥檝e been reconnecting with my culture and heritage, just re-understanding it in a new way as an adult,鈥� said King.
Part of this homecoming has come in the form of reflection as King has begun to break down the effects of the assimilation he experienced as an immigrant in Canada. This too, has been reflected in his music.
鈥淚 tell the story of my own journey of being an immigrant to Canada and having to feel like I needed to assimilate and lose my culture, which as an adult I鈥檓 really seeing the effect of that,鈥� said King.
While the effects of assimilation have had some negative implications, King is hopeful that his music will help inspire others to celebrate their backgrounds.
鈥淚 hope it will inspire the youth to really keep their own ethnicity and culture鈥nd not be embarrassed or ashamed and really try to love themselves for it,鈥� said King.
King takes the stage at 6:30 p.m., Aug. 14 at the Grizzly Plaza.
