Stir Cheat Sheet: 5 Things to know about time-travelling Catalan folk innovators Tarta Relena
Barcelona’s Marta Torrella and Helena Ros draw on far-reaching Mediterranean traditions and multiple languages
ANCIENT SINGING traditions meet electronic rhythms in the singular sound of Tarta Relena—the Catalan duo of Marta Torrella and Helena Ros, who make their West Coast debut at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts’ EXP series on April 9, in partnership with Vancouver New Music.
The two young artists are known for bringing centuries-old folklore into the present, their ethereal voices intertwining and harmonizing with subtle touches of reverb, distortion, and rippling beats.
For an idea of how mesmerizing their vocal journeys across the Mediterranean and the centuries are, scroll to the bottom music videos to hear their hauntingly beautiful sound. To find out how far-reaching and timeless their influences are, read on.
Across the albums Ora Pro Nobis, Intercede Pro Nobis, and Fiat Lux, Tarta Relena sings not just in Spanish and Catalan, but in Greek, Latin, English, and even the Judeo-Spanish language of Ladino, also known as Sefardí.
Tarta Relena's 2021 album, Fiat Lux was inspired by historical female characters, such as the Virgin Mary, Sappho of Lesbos, and 12th-century Benedictine abbess Hildegard of Bingen, as well as the age-old poetry of Pashtun women from Afghanistan.
Amid the pair’s stylistic influences are Iberian flamenco, Georgian lullabies, and retro Greek rebetiko, with hits of modern jazz and dub.
The Barcelona duo have been friends since elementary school, and they were members of a choir together. They formed Tarta Relena in 2016 as an a capella project.
“Tarta relena” means “stuffed pie” in Spanish. Note that tortell, a Catalan puff pastry filled with trufa (a mixture of cacao, chocolate and cream) or crema catalana, doesn’t sound too removed from “Torella”, and relena rhymes with Helena.
