Bremen, Germany-based 5-woman World a cappella group Aquabella, after impressing us with "Nani Dschann" and "Aquabella," bring us a unique Christmas CD, "Kykellia, or the Story of Christmas." 19 songs, some favorites are the rhythmic "Breaths," the spirited "Sneig Sniedzinis Putinaja," the chant-like "Vila Moma," a nicely-arranged "Wexford Carol," a latin-flavored "Los Reyes Magos" (with drum accompaniment), a bluenote "Noel nouvelet" that seques into a dance rhythm, the ringing chant "Schen char wenachi," the Maori song "Nga iwi e" (also with drums), and the moody "Shalom Aleikhem" and "Kling no, Klokka." Exotic, beautiful music in different languages, and from different cultures, that relates to the celebration of Christmas. Another winner from the sweet, harmonic voices of Aquabella!

Songlist: Maria durch ein' Dornwald ging I, Breaths, Kyrie, Snieg Sniedzinis Putinaja, El cant dels ocells, Vila Moma, Maria durch ein' Dornwald ging II, Wexford Carol, Los Reyes Magos, Noel nouvelet, Maria durch ein' Dornwald ging III, Schen char wenachi, Birjina gaztetto bat zegoen, Jesous Ahatonhia, Nga iwi e, Shalom Aleikhem, Kling no, klokka, Maria durch ein' Dornwald ging, Wolgadeutsche Weihnachtsweise

"Nani" is Armenian for "mother," and there are similar words in many languages. In Yiddish it is "Nam"-wet nurse, in Hungarian "Neni"-older sister, in Russian "Njanja"-mum. "Dschann," from the original Persian, is a term of endearment which can be attached to any name. For their second CD, recorded in Berlin, the five German women singers of Aquabella looked for songs in which women tell their stories. Women seething with jealousy, women annoyed by midnight love serenades, women making fun of the village priest, women crying to their children or lovers, women who simply want to marry. The passion of Aquabella is filling these stories with life, in carefully but pointedly thinning out the song's prototype in order to enrich it with their own personal stories. These songs, most of them old ones, are thus sung to the world as responses. There are 15 songs here, all in languages like Russian, German, Armenian, Italian and Bulgarian, as we see in the beautiful full-color liner booklet. The sound is hauntingly beautiful and authentic; each song filled with spirit, feeling and passion!

Songlist: Ta na baid, El Chicolito, Makheuri Sakortsilo, Meine Aug'sind mude, Nani Dschann, Jerusalem, Der Pope, Asentada en mi ventada, Duerme negrito, Ikh bin a mame, Maria, Mari'!, Baxabene Oxama, Aye kerunene, Prechfr'kna ptitschka, Trost