Sophie Wachendorff and Jens Piezunka look back on 25 years of musical collaboration in various formations – and yet have rediscovered themselves in "Solunaya." Starting with the fragile and distinctive combination of double bass and vocals, they develop a space for powerful and sensitive duet singing, virtuoso improvisation, and a rich sound. Original compositions, traditional pieces from Turkey to Mexico, and diverse acoustic arrangements of jazz, rock, and pop music – from Monteverdi to Sting – Solunaya creates a complete band within the duo.
Sophie Wachendorff (vocals, ukulele, percussion) was the singer and co-founder of the Turkish world music group "Iki Dünya" from 1990 to 2007. She released the CD "ISTANBUL" and performed at renowned national and international cultural events such as the Ruhrrock Festival in Recklinghausen, the WDR Europafestival in Wuppertal, and the Voice of Asia Festival in Almaty, Kazakhstan. She won the German Folk Music Promotion Prize in 2001 and the Creole World Music Prize for Lower Saxony in 2006, thus establishing herself in a musical genre that blends European and Oriental sounds. In 2021, she released her first solo CD featuring her own songs.
Jens Piezunka (vocals, double bass) is a singer, choir director, and double bassist in various ensembles spanning world music and jazz. He studied at the Hilversum Conservatorium in the Netherlands and at the University of the Arts Bremen. Performances with various jazz and world music groups, including those with Arkady Shilkloper, Thorsten der Winkel, Rainer Brüninghaus, Roger Hanschel, and Hille Perl, have enriched his extensive concert career. With his jazz string quartet "String Thing," he undertook extensive tours in Africa and Asia. The experiences he gained on these tours have shaped him to this day and are reflected in his music.
01 Broken Wings
02 Mercy Street
03 Stones Start Spinning
04 Soy Pescador
05 Fragile
06 The wind caresses my heart
07 The Indigenous Night
08 Siete Mode de Guisar Las Berenejas
09 Wish you were here
10 Callejon de un Solo Caño
11 A Te Ata
12 Yagmur Turküsü
