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Artista da Semana (fevereiro 7 - 13) - Jill Barber

Artista da Semana - Jill Barber


www.jillbarber.com


http://www.goear.com/listen/5184191/oh-my-my-jill-barber

If you believe they don’t write songs like they used to, here is new hope for old romantics. On her new album Chances, Canadian chanteuse Jill Barber picks up the torch where the golden age of music left off. Taking a giant step forward from the typical confines of the singer-songwriter , Jill delivers an album of ten original, fully orchestrated songs that strongly evoke – and could themselves become - classics. From the moment you hear her sultry voice on the opening title track, you are transported to another time and place. “The best songs ever written are the ones that somehow transcend time and fashion, “says Jill. ”They may be old, but they haven’t aged.

It is that timeless quality that I aspire to in my own songwriting. A seasoned performer with a growing fan base across North America and the UK, Jill gained acclaim as a 2008 double-Juno nominee and multiple East Coast Music Award winner for previous releases For All Time (2006) and Oh Heart (2004). In February 2008, Jill was given the extraordinary chance to perform in concert with Symphony Nova Scotia as part of its Pops Series. The results evoked the rich sounds of Patsy Cline, Edith Piaf and Etta James. It was clear that Jill, previously a self-proclaimed “smoky folkie”, had reached a new level. To recreate the magic of a live orchestra, Jill enlisted producer and long-time collaborator Les Cooper.

His gorgeous arrangements for a skilled backing band with a 10-piece string section were recorded live at The Glenn Gould Studio. Exquisite guest vocals by the Good Lovelies and The Sojourners and a special appearance by Ron Sexsmith contribute to a contemporary album of songs that capture the lush sounds of a bygone era. “Now I can finally claim to be making ‘popular music’. So what if it’s only what was popular 50 or 60 years ago,” says Jill, who composed many of the songs during an intensive three-week artist residency at The Banff Centre For the Arts. “They were kind enough to give me a studio space and leave me to my own devices. It gave me a chance to devote myself entirely to the writing process.” Also a first, Jill co-wrote a number of songs with producer Les Cooper and renowned singer-songwriter, Ron Sexsmith, who has also collaborated with Elvis Costello and Coldplay. “At first I was a little intimidated to work with Ron, but when we sat down to work, we had such a good time that I forgot what it was I was nervous about. We wrote five or six songs together in short order. Three of them appear on this album.” (“Chances,” “Old Flame,” and “One More Time”.)

Jill chose the album title Chances as befitting her approach to both music and matters of the heart. “ “Chances” is a love song, but it’s really about the mysterious role that chances play in our lives.” Recently, Jill took another chance and relocated from her adopted home of Halifax to Vancouver, as a result of the chance meeting that inspired the song. “I am drawn to write about love because it is a theme for the ages. Romance, on the other hand, seems to have gone out of style in much of modern music. I like to think of myself as a hopeful romantic, rather than a helpless one.”

Artista da Semana (janeiro 31 - fevereiro 6) - Luca Mundaca

Artista da Semana - Luca Mundaca

Everywhere she goes, Luca Mundaca seems to attract a devoted following of fans. Whether she’s playing a concert in Sao Paulo, Brazil, headlining a night of world music at New York City’s famous The Living Room club, or touring clubs in the United States, Luca’s combination of personal warmth and musical virtuosity captivates everyone who watches her perform.

“Her abilities are unlimited,” says Seth Rothstein, vice president of marketing at Sony Legacy records. “She has a stunning voice of great intimacy and emotion, and her songwriting is first-rate.”

Luca’s music began at age 15 in Brazil, when her mother bought her the only guitar the family could afford: a clunky and cheap guitar that cost $30 new. With no money for sheet music, Luca taught herself to play, and wrote all her own songs. She locked herself in the bedroom of her family’s house south of Sao Paulo and practiced for 10 hours a day. The guitar’s cheap strings sliced her fingers, so she learned to stick her hands in the freezer to numb the pain before returning to play.

She became the lead singer in a Brazilian pop fusion band, but soon discovered the music that spoke to her soul: Brazil’s own samba and bossa nova.

“I loved the swinging rhythm, the intimacy of the music,” Luca says.

Luca played her first solo gig in 1997. She earned as much money in one night as she made in a month working the hot ovens of a soap factory. That’s when she decided to become a full-time musician. After building an underground following in the bars and jazz clubs of Brazil, she sold all her equipment for a one-way ticket to New York City. Within months, she was playing at The Living Room, auditioning for jazz labels and major record studios, and catching the attention of fans and music industry veterans.

“Luca Mundaca is a classic example of a talent deserving wider recognition,” says Don Heckman, music critic for the Los Angeles Times. She is “(b)lessed with a sweetly engaging sound, impressive musicality and the rhythmic passion of her Brazilian roots.”

In addition to her own albums, Luca’s work has been featured on two Putumayo World Music compilations, “Women of the World Acoustic” and “Brazilian Lounge,” in which she appears alongside Brazilian music legends Bebel Gilberto , Adriana Calcanhoto and Marcos Vale. Her song “Ha Dias” was featured on the soundtrack for the movie “The Visitor,” and licensed for the TV show californiacation on Showtime.

Luca was also named Best World Fusion musician in 2008 by the Independent Music Awards.

Through all of her travels and successes, Luca maintains those rare qualities that set her music apart. Intimacy. Playfulness. Soul. Hearing her play reminds us that life is a fun and romantic gift to be shared with the people we love. And like all things worth doing, good music comes when years of hard work evolve into an effortless expression of joy.

http://www.lucamundaca.com/LUCA_MUNDACA.html

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