Linguistics
Explore the language of music and the music of language in this classic Keepsake House show, with performances in Spanish from Keepsake Songwriter in Residence Kacia Flórez, English and Chinese from Storyteller in Residence Katherine Gan, Swedish and Swiss German from Helena Hallberg, Hindi from Shevya, and Thai from special guest Napat Snidvongs. These multilingual musicians will meet in the round to explore global folklore and celebrate immigrant histories in a show that strives to illustrate how art is a language that’s universal.
Doors: 6:00pm ET
Note: Original writing and English translations will be provided for many of the songs and poems performed.
Tickets:
In-person: $20 advance / $25 at the door or free for Key to Keepsake holders
Online video (live & recorded): $15 or free for Key to Keepsake holders
Hold the key to Keepsake House with a season pass to all residency shows! As soon as you sign up, you'll also receive immediate access to all past show videos–over 34 hours of content.
Left to right: Shevya, Kacia Flórez, Katherine Gan, & Helena Hallberg.
Helena Hallberg (she/her) - Swedish & Swiss German
Born to Swedish parents in Zurich, Switzerland, singer/songwriter Helena Hallberg uses elements of folk, jazz and pop to connect with her listener through stories centered around mental health, female empowerment and multiculturalism. Rarely seen without her Appalachian dulcimer Henrietta, she brings the instrument into the 21st century by weaving catchy melodies into the musical fabric of her songs. Helena combines the musical aesthetics of Joni Mitchell with the ear worm qualities of ABBA, which is sure to leave you humming for weeks.
Website | Spotify | Instagram | TikTok
Kacia Flórez (she/her) - Spanish
Kacia Flórez is a Colombian-Ecuadorian Queens native singer/songwriter, whose music is inspired by folkloric rhythms from her country of origin. From an early age, Kacia’s father taught her how to play and interpret a diverse amount of Latin American genres from the most renowned artists of his time, including Julio Jaramillo’s classic “Bolero, Vales and Pasillos” to Andean superstars Los Kjarkas with their Caporal hits. Kacia has performed for the Ecuadorian American Cultural Center, The Queens Museum, The Museum of Human Achievement, and has been involved with ongoing community work through Queens-based art collective Kaleidospace. Today you can check out her newest release “Kacia Flórez - Vol. 1,” an EP honoring her Andean roots, on all streaming platforms.
Su nuevo álbum, Kacia Flórez - Vol.1 está inspirado en el género Andino cual define a la artista de manera auténtica. Cada cancion en su EP demuestra pequeños fragmentos de lo que significa ser una mujer andina enamorada de su cultura. Ella espera que tú el oyente puedas también sentir el corazón de Los Andes en casa pista y conocer un poco de lo que define a Kacia con el sueno de revivir el folklor.
Kacia is a 2024 Artist in Residence and has previously performed in the Keepsake House shows Women of the House, House for the Holidays, and Metamorphosis.
Katherine Gan (they/them) - English & Mandarin Chinese
Katherine Gan is a multimedia artist based in Brooklyn, NY with a focus on poetry and film photography. They also have experience with mediums like film, printmaking, and digital art. Katherine seeks to center queer and trans people of color in their work, particularly with a focus on intimacy and care.
Their art has been supported through fellowships and scholarships from Brooklyn Poets, The Poetry Project, Poets House, and the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop. Their super 8 film "Friday in Flushing" screened at MoMA through MONO NO AWARE.
Katherine graduated from Duke University in May 2022 as Robertson Scholar and Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow with a B.A. in Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies and a minor in History. They won the 2022 Honor’s Thesis Distinction Prize for their 134-page thesis "Excavating the Afterlives of Empire through Asian/American Women’s Aesthetics & Poetry."
Katherine is a 2024 Artist in Residence and has previously performed in the Keepsake House shows House for the Holidays and Metamorphosis.
Shevya (she/her) - Hindi
Shevya is a 25 year old singer/songwriter based in New York City. Her music is heavily influenced by Bollywood, K-Pop, and R&B. Shevya aims to create Hindi music in the stylings of Western pop/R&B, representing a new genre of independent Indian music. Taking inspiration from artists like Billie Eilish and Doja Cat, she applies a conversational approach to her lyrics, creating a unique style of Hindi songwriting. In 2023, Shevya co-founded Desi Standard Time, a South Asian concert series at The Sultan Room. She aims to pursue music full time in the near future and is excited to perform at Linguistics!
With special guest…
Napat Snidvongs (he/him) - Thai
Napat Snidvongs is a Thai singer/songwriter who currently resides in New York City. Napat mixes Thai storytelling traditions of magical realism and Buddhist folktales with the independent music sound that he discovered while studying at an American high school in the late ‘90s. He released music through a Bangkok independent label, So::on DryFlower Records, and his compositions have been featured in many television commercials and Thai blockbuster films.
Napat was a 2023 Artist in Residence and has previously performed in the Keepsake House shows Linguistics (2022), Foresight, Sounds of the Invisible, Americana the Beautiful, and From Story to Song.
Read our interview with Napat and hear the Music that Made him.