“Singing a plethora of unique, stylized, and off-the-beaten-path tunes often rooted in omni-culture folklore and spirituality.” -The Ryder This CD features music from three live performances all recorded in Bloomington, Indiana. Kaia is a Bloomington, Indiana-based a cappella vocal ensemble performing world music, jazz, spirituals, original compositions, improvisation, and anything else that strikes our fancy. Many of us have a long history of performing in other groups (indie bands, small ensembles, choral work, musical theatre, etc). Founded in October 2004, we've performed in a wide variety of Bloomington-area venues. Our musical influences are very diverse, including Mel Torme, Tupac Shakur, Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday, classical composers, Libana, and various world music performers. That diversity makes us unique—you never know what we'll do next! (Though we don't do barbershop, doo-wop, or anything remotely show choir-y.) We focus on bringing soul to our music to connect with each other and break the "performer/audience" barrier. From haunting, lyrical ballads to bawdy drinking songs, we love to explore the many textures of the musical world and all aspects of the human experience. We also have a lot of fun.