“An exceptional piece of work. One of the year’s best”
“Begleitet von Gitarrist Marc Scheidegger und Schlagzeuger Rafi Woll begeisterte die schweiz-amerikanische Musikerin Mala mit glasklarer Stimme und stimmigen Folkperlen zwischen besinnlicher Melancholie und inspirierter Heiterkeit das Publikum.”
— Jon Duschletta, Engadiner Post
“when I heard Mala, my first thought was Joan Baez, who made folk music popular again at various festivals...”
— Roland Schlumpf, director of Burgbachkeller theatre Zug
press reviews
Die Singer-Songwriterin Mala Oreen bringt mit «Awake» ein melancholisches und kraftvolles Album heraus.
Inmitten eines sanft und doch zielstrebig treibenden Flusses taucht diese glasklare Stimme aus den Tiefen auf und haucht: «Only my fragile heart to call my own» (frei übersetzt: «Es ist nur mein verletzliches Herz, was mir bleibt»). Mala Oreen singt diese Zeilen des Songs «Ragged Queen» so eindringlich, dass wir uns kaum entziehen können. Sofort versinken wir in Oreens Sound-Strom, in dem sich Singer-Songwriter, Folk und Americana umgarnen, bezirzen und
letztlich ineinander verweben (....) 193 KB
https://negativewhite.ch/musik/2016-ist-13-eine-glueckszahl/?fbclid=IwAR1zHQO3d0BUqKia_mCErW9MuNocKOgUQsbCnzBSNCRYCOz5XTshjZe9Dik 986 KB
press text
EN (short)
Mala Oreen is a Swiss-American folk singer-songwriter and fiddler who makes her home in Lucerne. Her music has been described as “healing” “powerful” “magnetic” “passionate” and “as pure as an Alpine stream”.
The songs of her current album (November 2021) originated in a longer visit to the US, where she met like-minded artists. The themes of the album cover a lot of ground from enjoying the creative impulses life affords us all to its limitations: prison bars that it’s up to each of us to break. It’s about the healing and wild powers of nature and also about sorrow and loss… a collection of experiences full of hope, new space and open doors.
Mala Oreen performs solo and with her band, consisting of Marc Scheidegger (guitars, vocals), Rafi Woll (percussion, vocals) and Simon Iten (upright bass).
EN (long)
Mala Oreen is a Swiss-American singer-songwriter who makes her home in Lucerne. Her music has been described as “healing” “powerful” “magnetic” “passionate” and “as pure as an Alpine stream”. An experience with Mala’s immersive musical palette opens the mind to dreams and fills the heart with warmth.
Mala grew up in a home where music was vital. Her parents instilled in her a love of vocal and instrumental music. Beginning her classical violin studies as a young girl, she still hones her skills as a vocalist, violinist, guitar player. Her mother’s record collection was an early inspiration. She fell in love with American and later on Irish and Appalachian folk music that influenced so much of it.
Mala Oreen focused on her fiddle playing and became a member of various folk groups in Switzerland. From 2009 until 2018 she was touring with her own Celtic-Americana band, Mala & FyrMoon. She shared stages with great Bluegrass and Folk artists like Dale Anne Bradley, the Kruger Brothers and many others.
Always blazing her own trail as a solo artist, she released her first album, “Simply a Lotus” in 2011. In 2014 along with FyrMoon she recorded the album “On the Run” which she followed with tours in the US, Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany.
She performs solo and with her band, consisting of Marc Scheidegger (guitars, vocals), Rafi Woll (percussion, vocals) and Simon Iten (upright bass).
The songs of her current album (November 2021) originated in a longer visit to the US, where she met like-minded artists. They left their stamp subtly on the songs appearing on the album. The themes of the album cover a lot of ground from enjoying the creative impulses life affords us all to its limitations: prison bars that it’s up to each of us to break. It’s about the healing and wild powers of nature and also about sorrow and loss.
Mala Oreen’s purpose for her musical life’s work? “I would like to inspire people with my music, so they can gather courage to live what makes them happy and share their own talents and passions with the world.”
It’s a collection of experiences full of hope, new space and open doors.