{"product_id":"in-search-of-youkali-songs-of-kurt-weill","title":"In Search of Youkali - Songs of Kurt Weill","description":"Winner of the Dame Joan Sutherland Audience Prize at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, the British mezzo-soprano Katie Bray has become known for her magnetic stage presence and gleaming, expressive tone. Katie writes:  'Youkali,  It is the land of our desires,  It is happiness, it is pleasure...  But it is a dream, a folly,  There is no Youkali!  This song was my first encounter with Kurt Weill, more than twenty years ago, and that yearning, mesmerising tango has been a constant companion ever since. The sentiment behind 'Youkali' touched me deeply, and seemed to echo Weill's own search for a place of personal and artistic freedom, a German Jew forced into exile in 1933 owing to the rise of the Nazi regime. He moved around the world, and with each new country came a reinvention of himself and some more miraculous musical shape-shifting. 'Youkali' is Weill's 'Somewhere over the rainbow', an idea that resonates strongly with me, and seems painfully relevant to us all as I write this, in 2025, yet again living in a world at war. My performances of Weill's songs have always centred around 'Youkali' and Weill's search for a place to belong and to be free. I have wanted to make this album for many years, and am thrilled finally to have had the chance to do so with such a special team of collaborators and friends. It is my tribute to Kurt Weill, the chameleon, in all his glory, and a tribute to us all in our search for kindness, love, and peace.'","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":51423141986584,"sku":"0095115235928","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/4467002-3467362.jpg?v=1777478642","url":"https:\/\/hbdirect.com\/products\/in-search-of-youkali-songs-of-kurt-weill","provider":"HBDirect","version":"1.0","type":"link"}