sToa was founded in 1991 in Germany. Olaf Parusel (composition/arrangement)… Read Full Bio ↴sToa was founded in 1991 in Germany. Olaf Parusel (composition/arrangement) looked at this time for a new way to connect his musical and philosophical thoughts. He found a voice in Conny Levrow. In the same year the first song "Stoa" was released on the compilation "From Hypnotic ... to Hypersonic" (Hyperium). The album "Urthona" (Hyperium) followed in 1992, and sold ten thousand copies worldwide.

Both members worked a lot in other projects in the years before. Conny played the violin for more than ten years and performed in many orchestras. She also sang in some classical choruses and as a soloist, and is familiar with baroque and romantic compositions like G.F. Handel, E. Grieg or Pergolesi.

Olaf was in his childhood a member of the "Stadtsingechor Halle", the oldest chorus of the world. Later, he played in many musical projects and bands, and also composed for TV. He studied musicology and philosophy.

In 1994 the second album, "Porta VIII" (Hyperium), was released. It has a concept based on the fairy tale "Ariadne et Barbe Bleue" by Maurice Maeterlinck, but "Porta VIII" is a continuation of the original fairy tale. This album too was selling more than 10 000 copies worldwide and climbed the Mexican charts.

Since 1997 there was a new line-up. Conny left sToa to follow her classical career, and the new singer was Antje Buchheiser. Buchheiser had been playing violin for more than eleven years, and had been singing in the classical chorus "Hallenser Madrigalisten". She performed a lot in classical music, in, among others, Germany, Japan and Cuba.

Another new member since 1996 was Christiane Fischer. She plays cello and is singing the second voice at live concerts. sToa signed to the German publisher Alster Musikverlag. In 1997 the band left their old label Hyperium for various reasons.

sToa performed sporadically at special places or events. They played for example at the Wave-Gotik-Treffen in a one hundred years old and eighty metres high monument in front of more than 1 000 people, at the “Zeche Carl” in Essen, in the Netherlands and several times in Mexico (inter alia with the Goethe-Institut).

In 2001 they finished their album "Zal". It was released worldwide, but first in Mexico at "Samadhi Musik". sToa signed to the German label "Alice in ...", where they released "Zal" for the rest of the world and re-released "Urthona" and "Porta VIII". The singer on "Zal" was Antje Buchheiser.

In 2008 sToa returned with international line-up. The new album "Silmand" was released on September 26th. "Silmand" means soul month. With it the month September is titled in an almost forgotten German dialect. The female voices on the album belong to sToa's new main-singer Mandy Bernhardt and the Australian multi-instrumentalist Louisa John-Krol. Furthermore, the Dutchman Pieter Nooten (Ex-Clan of Xymox) could be engaged as well as the Leipzig-based Ralf Jehnert (Love is Colder than Death). One of the songs on "Silmand" was already used as film score ("Tacitum"). The title of the song "Hanuz Nist" comes from the Persian lyrics written by Hassan Dehlawi at the 14th century.

So Many Clouds
sToa Lyrics

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So many clouds I've seen
So many birds I've seen
They never will come back.

So many words wev'e said
So many books we read
It never will come back.

How many years we'll live

How many things we'll give
What happens if we go?

Overall Meaning

The song So Many Clouds by sToa, depicts the fleeting and transitory nature of life. The opening lyrics talk about the various clouds and birds that the singer has seen, but they all disappear and never come back. This talk of impermanence sets the tone for the song, as it goes on to discuss the things in life that we experience but can never truly hold onto. The singer then goes on to reflect on the numerous words said and books read, but those too are ultimately lost.

The chorus of the song questions the length and purpose of our lives. It asks, "How many years we'll live, how many things we'll give, what happens if we go?" This highlights the uncertainty and unpredictability of life, and the thin line between life and death. The song seems to suggest that we should cherish the present moment and the people in our lives, as they may not be around forever.

The song is a poignant reflection on the nature of life, and the inevitability of death. It encourages listeners to treasure the memories and experiences they have, as they may never come back. With its haunting melody and ethereal vocals, the song is a powerful reminder to be present and appreciate what we have.

Line by Line Meaning

So many clouds I've seen
I have witnessed an abundance of clouds in my life

So many birds I've seen
I have sighted numerous birds in my existence

They never will come back.
Those clouds and birds will never return to my sight

So many words wev'e said
We have spoken an immense amount of words to one another

So many books we've read
We have read an enormous number of books

It never will come back.
Those spoken words and read books cannot be undone or taken back

How many years we'll live
The number of years we will live on this earth

How many things we'll give
The number of things we will contribute to the world

What happens if we go?
What will happen when we leave this existence?

Contributed by Jack B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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