Many readers will remember the energetic, passionate performances last year by Roman Klun at Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival in Dauphin, Manitoba or the Bloor West Village Ukrainian Festival in Toronto, Ontario. But the studio owner, musician and singer/songwriter, whose latest release is entitled “Passion of the Angel”, is also a Genie Award-winning producer, sound engineer, and arranger. Besides recording and performing music, Roman is also a dancer and choreographer, skills he picked up from his father, Jaroslav, one of the founders of the Ukrainian dance ensembles Rusalka, based in Winnipeg and Chaika in Hamilton, both of which are affiliated with the Ukrainian National Federation. He was the first to ever record and co-produce the Ukrainian Catholic Mass celebrated by Bishop Isidore Borecky of the Eastern Canadian Eparchy, and has been co-producer and engineer on all of Ron Cahute’s “Burya” recordings and on every one of the popular children’s albums “Barabolya”. The Canadian Recording Industry Association recognized him with a 4X Platinum award for engineering on Sarah McLachlan’s hit single “Posession”, among other numerous accolades.

NP: Where do you have more work to do – behind the microphone, performing – or working with musicians in the studio, helping them record and crystallize their own musical ideas?

RK: Recently, most of my time has been allocated behind the microphone,

creating my own and co-ventured

songs and compositions. Also, I find, the more time I spend behind the

microphone, the greater my understanding of production and engineering concepts, and vice versa. Yes, I do love to nurture artists’ records to their deserving light…The road less traveled tends to be the road more fruitful, unprecedented, and most intriguing to the

listener. Hence, something of interest that has never been said before. That’s when the usual controversy commences, and so I look at it as, “let’s give them something to talk about”.

NP: Describe the process of working in the studio with artists like Sarah McLachlan, Bill Dillon, Jerry Marotta, Tony Levin, Ron Cahute and Ihor Baczynski (Barabolya).

RK: Every one tends to have their own psychological preparation – though parallel in a way – everyone sings and performs with a rather different concept than the other. Some sing to their mentors, others with the thought of money, some to their wives, and some to their respected maker, though I truly believe, “who you are is what you sing and what you eat is who you are!" I’m sure one’s consciousness has a lot to do with it as well.

NP: Your last two albums “Ancestors” and “Passion of the Angel” are loaded with Ukrainian motifs. Does any of that come from your father or is traditional Ukrainian folk music something you discovered for yourself?

RK: All of it comes from my father, and all of it comes from me, as all of it will come from my son and daughter, and from my wife. Definition being, what I have learnt from my father, I bring

it about with full intensity, what I believe in, I bring about with full intensity! My father placed me on a path of journeys of long ago, provided knowledge of life, song and dance and fundamental, principal etiquette surrounded by glorious Ukrainian culture – its joy and its bloodshed, its truth and its shame! My father is a choreographer of Ukrainian dance as I am an artist of music. I will produce and sing and carry the flame. Why? Because he is my father! Also, I would like to sing my rendition of “Dumy Moji” live at the Skydome in Toronto for whatever event of importance that should take place with those of you who really are proud to be Ukrainian.

NP: What’s next for Roman Klun – both as an artist and in life?

RK: What would a Ukrainian say? Probably this: “I don’t know, you’ll have to talk to my wife!” Just kidding! As an artist, I have already embarked on the next record. I would like to perform more frequently at the various festivals throughout the world. At present, I am also lecturing and instructing at “Recording Arts Canada” which is a highly intensive private vocational diploma program that prepares students for the Movie, Multimedia and Recording industries. I’m just finishing up a record I did in New York with a band out of San Francisco and “Passion of The Angel” was just submitted to the panel of judges with hopes of procuring a Juno for my efforts. And I will probably be doing more production and engineering work in the near future. In life, August 2003 I will be getting married, I’m an uncle to Maksim, my sister Nadia’s first child, and of course there is always talk of moving back to New York City, or embarking on California.

Petro Lopata interviewed Roman Klun via E-mail. Visit Roman`s web site at www.innsbruckrecords.com