JULIANA VANNUCCHI:
FANZINE, BRASIL:
Poetry is a necessary movement of the soul, through which the unspeakable is expressed. It is a language that escapes reason and some people, like Cynthia Ross, have the gift of awakening to this fabulous poetic universe and thus transforming the invisible into words. This is what she did throughout her musical career, during which she was the double bassist and also the main lyricist of the cult Canadian band The 'B' Girls, which transformed many of the poems written by Cynthia Ross into memorable melodies. She currently lives in Toronto, her hometown. She is far from the stage and more focused on writing poetry, which is an essential activity in her life and which has been part of her trajectory since her youth. Cynthia told us that by the time she was in high school, she already had a strong connection with music and art. During this period, she practiced ballet, loved drawing, dancing and reading books: “I would do anything that provided a creative outlet and served as an opportunity to explore the world of imagination.” Regarding this, particularly her poetic ability, she reflected: “Poetry is my inner voice or the voice of angels or even other beings. It is the universal unconscious that floats around us in higher realms. I usually write in the morning, before the distractions of the day take over. My inspirations are experiences… past, present and imagined, and also the emotions that are triggered by such experiences.”
Cynthia Ross: "I've often been told that I write what people feel but can't put into words.
Recently, during a poetry reading tour held in April, Ross announced the release of his unprecedented solo spoken word album, entitled "The Secret Door", which is being sold in CD and LP format. With this, we see that now, the b-girl has become a true "beat girl poet", since in this production, the talented Canadian poet gives readings and also sings some of her most famous poems, being accompanied by the brilliant multi- instrumentalist Tim Bovaconti, responsible for the engaging musical arrangements in which we find a sound atmosphere that is partially mysterious and whimsically complemented by a climate that flirts with post-punk traits and psychedelic sound elements. After this launch, I asked Cynthia what kind of effect she hopes her poetry will have on readers and also what her main literary references are. She declared that her creative process is free and does not involve pretensions or expectations: “I have often been told that I write what people feel, but cannot express in words. I don't write with any expectations. I just write what comes.” And she revealed that she reads quite frequently and has a preference for Leonard Cohen, Rumi, Sylvia Plath, Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, Irving Layton, all the poets of the Beat Generation, Ginsberg, Nikita Gill, among others.
"The Secret Door" opens new and magical doors for the listener.
When listening to this prodigious album, we live the magical experience of opening new doors that launch us into a different universe, in which we find fragments of the heart, ideas, thoughts and life stories of Cynthia Ross who, with immense subtlety, describes the many faces that shaped your reality. However, we also find ourselves in their words and in the expressions of their feelings and emotions. In this way, Cynthia Ross's poems are able to penetrate our spirit and serve as metaphysical mirrors in which we are able to decipher ourselves. "The Secret Door" is a competent work that offers the listener intense and passionate content.
OVERROCKS, BRASIL:
Former bassist of the esteemed Canadian band The 'B' Girls and cult legend of the New York underground scene, announced the release of his first solo spoken word album, “The Secret Door”
Cynthia, who has been away from the stage and her bass for some years now, and focuses on her poetic activity, recently declared that in “The Secret Door” she used her voice to “express stories and feelings”. Specifically in relation to the title, she reflected: “It's about having the courage to walk through that door that is secret to yourself”.
The production consists of a total of 12 tracks, and features the collaboration of multi-instrumentalist Tim Bovaconti and was recorded and mixed at 'Tim's Garage Studio' during the years 2023 and 2024.
The album musically unites a series of Cynthia's songs and poetry, having 10 original tracks and including a version of “Vagabond Ways”, which Ross recorded for the tribute “The Faithful: A Tribute To Marianne Faithfull”, released by In The Q Records in 2020, in addition to also offering a version of “I Ride The Subway Train”, originally recorded by the band New York Junk.
The recordings began when Tim, on one occasion, asked Cynthia if she had ever considered the idea of recording her poetry musically. In this regard, Cynthia reported: “Tim had a studio. I had the words. Together, we composed the music for the pieces that are present on the album. It was something I had wanted to do for years and Tim showed up to show me the way to do it. I will be forever grateful that our collaboration flowed so easily.”
The album's conception was a process of rediscovery for Cynthia, who delved deeply into her own experiences and memories to compose the tracks. Each poem set to music reflects a distinct aspect of her life, from her youthful adventures with The 'B' Girls to her present day as a poet in New York. She describes the album as an “emotional and spiritual journey” where each track is a step towards deeper understanding of herself and her place in the world.
Cynthia and Tim's work in the studio was described by both as a transformative experience. Tim Bovaconti, who brought his vast musical experience to the project, praised the authenticity and depth of Cynthia's words, saying they resonated in a way few lyrics can. “Collaborating with Cynthia was magical,” commented Tim. “It was as if we were unraveling a mystery together, each recording session bringing new layers of meaning and emotion to the surface.”
Now, with the release of “The Secret Door,” Cynthia hopes her listeners feel the same deep connection to the songs that she felt while writing and recording them. She believes the honesty and vulnerability present in the album will resonate with those seeking to understand their own personal journeys. “This album is for everyone who has ever felt lost and for those who are looking for their own secret door,” concluded Cynthia.
OBRAS DE ARTE, BRASIL:
Canadian bassist and poet Cynthia Ross, one of New York's biggest punk legends, breathes art from a young age, It was during his childhood that he learned to play the piano.
Later on, Ross switched to double bass and experienced all the effervescence of the most explosive period of North American punk rock in his youth., closely following the emergence and maturation of C.B.G.B's main bands, and forming during this period, your own author group, chamado The ‘B’ Girls, which was made up only of women.
However, Cynthia's band quickly dissolved, even though it remained at the top during its brief period of activity.
The energetic Canadian, although, even after the end of your group, remained firm and active on stage and especially in the production of her poetry, full of feeling and passion and which ended up becoming his main artistic axis and the great direction of his life, in which, gradually, He moved away from his instrument so that he could dedicate himself entirely to his poems..
As a result of this poetic endeavor, in 2024, Cynthia Ross announced the release of her first solo spoken word album, o “The Secret Door”, which features the talented multi-instrumentalist Tim Bovaconti.
As Ross told: “Tim had the studio. I had the words. It was something I had wanted to do for years and Tim showed up to provide me with the path to that realization.. I will be forever grateful that our collaboration worked so smoothly.”.
The publicity of this production, whose recordings began in mid- 2023, was carried out precisely during a poetry reading tour that Cynthia carried out in the USA and Canada.
Tim and Cynthia reflected on the album's meaning: “It talks about the power of expressing thoughts and feelings by accessing the inner voice and having the courage to go through the secret door”.
Cynthia has a creative and profound way of writing, and his poems are capable of engaging in a direct dialogue with the reader's soul, who simply detaches himself from the material world to experience the metaphysical celebrations offered by his poetry.
The arduous and challenging worldly reality in which we find ourselves, It's more exciting and less bitter when we have a careful dose of poetry to get us drunk, and Ross offers these moments through his innate poetic gift.
Her dexterity with words makes her a true sibyl who provides us with a mystical and hallucinating experience.
