In 1993 Igor Kalinauskas together with actress and singer Olga Tkachenko created vocal duet “ZIKR”. Its uniqueness resides in the free improvisation of the two singers which unveils the true potential of human voice. Duo “ZIKR” has traveled all over the world; from Australia to America and recorded 20 albums. Video clip “The Way to Katmandu” won the main prize for the best direction in the 6th Moscow festival of video clips “Generation – 98”.
"Duo ’Zikr’ It was hardly to explain. Humming motets of Silin, called ‘Temple’ and ‘Meditation’, were definitely of religious character. In the first part of the concert the composition called ‘Element of Fire’ one could feel however also mundane trends. And it seemed the four different vocal improvisations, entitled ‘Battle’, ‘Life’, ‘Purification’ and ‘Ascension’, united spiritual and physical in one. Being an American music critic acquainted with all realms of world and ethnic music, including Russian and East European, I could discern all known styles, which seemed to pass through ‘Zikr’’s musik. But in every distinct moment I wasn’t confident, what kind of style it was, which honors once again the duet’s original voice purity. Most of all it resembles the two competitive singers of the scat style. Scat is a jazz vocal technique, employed by Sarah Vaughan and other great jazz singers. By this technique instead of the text of the song the performers articulate a number of arbitrary meaningless syllables. The only difference is that ‘Zikr’ does it on melodic level. Jazzmen have at least some song context that serves them a field of improvisation, whereas ‘Zikr’ creates the melody of the song. But besides the dynamic improvisation that affects the audience so deeply, ‘Zikr’ amazes by astonishing passion of voice and performance manner. Tkachenko and Silin sang distinctly, everyone being in an individual world, but at the same time they comprised a perfect duet. Every singer followed the own way, however constantly getting in touch with vocal part of the partner. They rested on each others utterances and continued them. Looking back I wonder, what was the most unusual in ‘Zikr’? Perhaps it was the representation of the most innate and at the same time most sophisticated human relations, i.e. relations between man and woman as distinct but equal parts of the whole."
Jim Bessman, special reporter of ‘Billbord’ (New York, USA)
Discography of ‘Zikr‘
• Angels in Town, 2008
• Breathing space, 2008
• "Sound of magic", 2006
• "Soul in the arms of God", 2005
• "Happy, happy Crazy", 2005
• "Spring journey", 2005
• "Place of Power", 2003
• "Mystery of fire", 2003
• "Seeking for light", 2001 (2CD)
• "Free flight", 2000
• " Jubilee", 1998
• "Travels of souls", 1998
• "Towards the twilight of time", Paris 1998
• " Towards the beginning of time ", 1998
• "Star Arthemisia", 1996
• " Vertical section ", 1996
• "Creation", 1996
• "Dancing time", 1996
• " Mystery of bowl", 1994
• "Voices", 1993
Selected performances. Here is the list of the most important performances, apart from regular concerts in Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and other cities of Russia. Festivals:
• BID 93, Berlin, Germany
• Christmas Meetings in North Palmyra 94, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
• MANIFESTI 96, Turku, Finland
• MEDIAWAVE 96, Gyor, Hungary
• ITF 96, Monastir, Tunisia
• Golden Autumn, Slavutich, Ukraine
• Festival of New Music, Citta de castello, Florence, Italy, 1998 • ORIENT-98, Tallinn, Estonia
• Sergey Kurekhin 3rd International Festival 98, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
• Forte99, Riga, Latvia
• “Sergey Oskolkov and friends — 99”, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
• Festival of vocal ensembles "A CAPELLA” 2000, — 2001, Saint-Petersburg, Russia Selected foreign performances
• 1994, Merkin Concert Hall, New-York, USA
• MIDEM 95, Cannes, France
• MIDEM ASIA 96, Hong Kong
• SHOWMARKET 95, 96, Barcelona, Spain
• SXSW 97, Austin, Texas, USA
• LMW 97, London, UK
• PCMC 97, Sidney, Australia
• 2000, Jerusalem, Israel
• 2001, 2003 Czechia, Slovakia
• 2002–2004 Kiev, Ukraine Selected foreign performances
• 1994, Merkin Concert Hall, New-York, USA
• MIDEM 95, Cannes, France
• MIDEM ASIA 96, Hong Kong
• SHOWMARKET 95, 96, Barcelona, Spain • SXSW 97, Austin, Texas, USA
• LMW 97, London, UK
• PCMC 97, Sidney, Australia
• 2000, Jerusalem, Israel
• 2001, 2003 Czechia, Slovakia
