Kirsten Agresta Copely has long been celebrated as one of the most versatile and expressive harpists of her generation, and her new album “Kuruvinda” stands as a luminous continuation of that legacy. Named after the imperfect ruby, the record embraces the raw, unpolished sides of life and transforms them into radiant beauty. Where her Grammy-nominated “Aquamarine” was steeped in serenity, “Kuruvinda” ventures into more complex territory—drawing from shadow and light, loss and renewal, vulnerability and strength. Across its ten compositions, Copely delivers a meditation on imperfection as a source of grace, reminding listeners that healing often lives in the cracks where light gets in.
The album opens with “Shadow Light,” a track that immediately establishes the duality at the heart of this project. With deep, resonant tones offset by airy, cascading highs, Copely demonstrates how the harp can hold opposing emotions in perfect balance. It feels like stepping into a liminal space, where grief and hope overlap in fragile harmony. From there, “Ratnaraja” builds on that introspection with regal, jewel-toned flourishes—its title invoking the “king of gems.” The piece unfurls with a steady dignity, suggesting resilience forged through hardship. By the time the listener reaches the title track, “Kuruvinda,” they are fully immersed in Copely’s sonic meditation on imperfection, as melodic themes stretch and contract like light reflecting through a flawed but radiant stone.
“Intertwined” offers one of the record’s most intimate moments, with delicate motifs that echo the quiet connections between people, memories, and places. Copely leans into subtle dissonances here, weaving them into textures that feel deeply human. “Wordless Voice,” on the other hand, speaks through absence, evoking the kind of communication that exists beyond language. The harp’s phrasing rises and falls like breath, fragile yet insistent, carving a space where silence feels as expressive as sound. “Quiet Core” shifts the energy inward, pulling listeners to their centre. The pacing slows, notes resonate longer, and the composition invites mindfulness—an auditory reminder to sit still within life’s chaos.
The latter half of the album ventures further into emotional terrain. “Samskara” is grounded in memory, referencing the imprints left on the mind through lived experiences. Its tones linger like echoes, fading but never fully disappearing. “Threadline” follows, offering a delicate counterpoint—a reminder of the invisible lines that hold us together even when we feel unravelled. These tracks balance heaviness with quiet release, reflecting the dual nature of healing: carrying the weight of what has been while slowly loosening its grip.
“Untold Story” is one of the album’s most haunting pieces. Its unresolved melodies suggest narratives left unfinished, or perhaps truths too tender to voice. Yet there is no bitterness in its delivery—only acceptance. Copely’s harp becomes both confessor and companion, acknowledging pain while guiding the listener gently forward. The closing track, “Samtosa,” meaning contentment, provides a graceful resolution. Its calm, open phrasing embodies the peace that comes from making peace with imperfection. In this final piece, Copely doesn’t offer neat closure but rather a steadying reassurance that the journey itself is enough.
Part of “Kuruvinda’s” power lies in its production choices. Recorded at Casa Copely Recording in Brooklyn, with engineering by Angie Teo, mixing by Marc Copely, and mastering by Maria Rice at Peerless Mastering, the album maintains a pristine yet organic quality. No synthesisers or artificial textures intrude—every shimmer, pulse, and resonance is purely the harp. This restraint allows the instrument’s natural overtones to breathe, making the listening experience intimate and unforced, as if Copely were playing just a few feet away. The contributions of Marc Copely and Mia Moravis as producers ensure the album remains both emotionally raw and sonically polished.
The symbolism of the imperfect ruby is a metaphor embedded in the DNA of the record. Each track refracts a different shade of imperfection, from grief to resilience, doubt to clarity, loss to quiet joy. Copely’s ability to hold all of these facets without forcing them into resolution makes “Kuruvinda” a mirror. Listeners will find themselves reflected in its imperfections, perhaps seeing their own experiences anew through its refracted light.
What elevates this project is Copely’s unique gift for storytelling without words. Her career—spanning performances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Centre, collaborations with Beyoncé and The Who, and contributions to film and television soundtracks have always displayed her technical brilliance. But with “Kuruvinda,” she channels that mastery into something more vulnerable. This is not music meant to dazzle; it is music meant to resonate, to comfort, and to heal. It proves that imperfection, when embraced, can be the most profound form of beauty.
Credits: All tracks composed and performed by Kirsten Agresta Copely. Produced by Marc Copely and Mia Moravis. Recording Engineer: Angie Teo. Mix Engineer: Marc Copely. Mastered by Maria Rice at Peerless Mastering, Boston, MA. Assistant Mastering Engineer: Costanza Tinti. Recorded at Casa Copely Recording, Brooklyn, NY.
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