The average person may not know how to pluck a gutbucket bass, let alone know what one is, but Awna Teixeira does. In fact she wrote a book on how to play it.
"It's just a bucket, stick and a rope," explained the Toronto-born vocalist and musician. "It's a very old instrument, but it's not in popular music anymore."
If played right, the gutbucket bass provides an octave and a half of sound. 鈥淚 just made a book with illustrations that people can have an easy read and know a little about it and build one for themselves, if they want.鈥�
Teixeira is a busy woman鈥攚ith touring, writing, learning new instruments, authoring books and working with children, it鈥檚 rare that something isn鈥檛 occupying her time.
One of two lead singers in the band Po鈥橤irl, Teixeira is also exploring a solo career, hitting the road on her first solo tour last month.
鈥淭o be honest, the first few days I felt uneasy,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was driving through west Texas and I realized that I had to call my sister at home and give updates of where I was because usually I鈥檓 with a group of people and you don鈥檛 really need to do that.鈥�
After a week, she was accustomed to trekking solo. In fact, she said, 鈥淚t was kind of freeing.鈥�
Throughout her 12 years of touring, Teixeira has travelled extensively. One memorable visit was to Cameroon, Africa, where Po鈥橤irl performed at a women鈥檚 festival. The experience was different than anything she had encountered before.
鈥淭here鈥檚 so much bureaucracy and there鈥檚 so little money,鈥� so the festival runs on donated items. A doctor purchased the entire sound system for the festival.
While Teixeira enjoys traveling, she said she also appreciates a break to recharge. 鈥淚 find the older I get the harder it gets,鈥� she said with a laugh. 鈥淚t has been challenging to balance the circle of health.鈥�
She only took a few months鈥� break before beginning the tour for the release of her first album Where the Darkness Goes, a collection of laid back roots and folk melodies accompanied by euphonic vocals. Her musical talents with the guitar, banjo, ukulele and accordion are also apparent on the album.
Teixeira is passionate about engaging younger generations and plans to compose an album for adults and children. 鈥淭here can be a lot of separation at times, musically, so that鈥檚 the goal towards the children鈥檚 record.鈥�
In April, she had the 鈥渁wesome and insane experience鈥� of performing for 500 three and four year olds at Shining Stars Preschool in New Mexico. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e just so open at that age鈥� and naturally drawn to music. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a beautiful thing to be able to share with them.鈥�
She draws some of her inspiration from Polish-Jewish educator, children鈥檚 author and pediatrician Janusz Korczak, who directed a Warsaw orphanage during WWII. Once the orphanage was moved into the ghetto in 1940, he refused offers to be smuggled out because he didn鈥檛 want to leave the children behind. In 1942, he and the children were transported to a death camp.
鈥淚 ended up writing this song that鈥檚 on the album called 鈥楾he Little Review鈥� which is about him and the children,鈥� said Teixeira.
It will be published in one of the Janusz Korczak Association鈥檚 newsletters that are distributed in 150 countries. Teixeira said that鈥檚 a great honour.
Along with these many endeavours, Teixeira wants to record another Po鈥橤irl album. 鈥淚鈥檓 also working on songs for my second [solo] record, it鈥檚 over half written already.鈥�
While writing music and more books, and also learning the drums, she plans to continue 鈥渄oing what I love; traveling and sharing music with people is a real privilege.鈥�
Trevor Nichols
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