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A world-class performer with a vivacious presence and Montreal flair, Amanda Mabro delivers what pop music has been waiting for: a talent that fuses a dedicated artistic sensibility with an accessible sound and a spectacular live show. A sassy songstress with a multicultural background, Amanda has an impressive musical resume that boasts shows in North America and Europe, performances alongside international stars and high praise from music critics. Her latest project, the Wine Flows and Red Rows sister EPs, present her gorgeous larger-than-life vocal prowess and ability to deliver inspiring and original songs.
The Red Rows/Wine Flows project, two distinct EPs released in 2008 and 2009, showcase the evolution of Amanda's sound from a cabaret-influenced chanteuse to an unstoppable theatrical pop force. Together, the EPs highlight Amanda's diverse range of styles and influences. Red Rows gives a feisty wink to her jazz/cabaret beginnings while Wine Flows boldly marches forward and heralds the future of pop music as being fresh, creative and evocative. Amanda's voice plays among the guitar, drums, piano and violin, weaving the elements together, tying them into modern tales of beauty and hope. CBC has touted Red Rows as being a "groundbreaking piece of pop music" and music columnist Duke Eatom has declared Amanda " a force to be reckoned with."
Amanda has been astounding music critics since day one. Her debut album, 2006's Superwoman In The Making, put her on the map with high-energy performances across Canada. Critics quickly took notice and heaped glowing praise on the newcomer with impressive reviews from various media outlets such as Chart, CBC and the Montreal Gazette. Amanda's body of work has built a dedicated following but fans agree; you cannot fully understand the essence of her art until you see her live, lit up by spotlights, jumping around the stage, belting extraordinary melodies while captivating audiences with her electric energy. Amanda has toured Canada several times, showcased at festivals such as NXNE and the Toronto Jazz Festival and shared stages with Celine Dion, Arcade Fire, Jorane, Vanessa Carlton, Raul Midon and Franz Ferdinand. Two rousing performances in front of 20,000 spectators at the 2008 Montreal International Jazz Festival prompted the sale of 300 albums in 30 minutes. Her first-ever French language release, "Nuit Blanche," was turned into a stunning Tim Burton-esque music video created by Montreal/Hollywood concept artist Meinert Hansen and is in rotation on Much Music Canada. Sold-out shows, a loyal international fan base and invitations to perform overseas prove that Amanda has the makings of a world-class artist in the evolving music industry.
Amanda's current projects include pre-production work on an upcoming full-length album, preparations for "What's Your Pleasure?", a highly anticipated multimedia event, an invitation to perform at the 2010 Montreal Jazz Festival and the 2010 edition of Osheaga music festival, production for the 2010 edition of We Are Women Artists (WAWA), a multi-disciplinary festival promoting women in the arts which Amanda founded in 2003.
Discography
2009 - Wine Flows EP - Bitchin' Empire
2008 - Red Rows EP - Bitchin' Empire
2006 - Superwoman in the Making - XXI-21 / SRI
2010 LIVE Reviews:
Osheaga Festival Review - Jordan Zivitz, Montreal Gazette, August 1st, 2010
Success on the Trees Stage -- nestled by a path heavy with traffic between Osheaga's larger sites -- can be measured by audience growth between a set's start and end. In which case, Amanda Mabro's blazing cabaret-pop won an easy blue ribbon. If the Montrealer's effervescence didn't pull you in, her growling / purring vocals would have. Hell-bent on winning over a few dozen onlookers at 5 p.m., she had impressed far more by 5:30. Delightful songs, delightful presence, delightful everything.
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Montreal International Jazz Fest Review - Bernard Perusse, Montreal Gazette, June 28th, 2010
It was nice to see that Amanda Mabro, one of our favourite Montreal singer-songwriters, has graduated to the prestigious Rio Tinto Alcan stage. You'll remember it as the stage Montreal International Jazz Festival organizers used for the big blowouts before the Place des Festivals came along last year.
At Mabro's 10 p.m. show last night --- her second --- she was clearly giving a high-stakes, nothing-held-back performance before a sizeable crowd of both curious onlookers and committed fans. It's the kind of exposure that can work wonders in spreading the word, and Mabro knew it. The weather co-operated, the quality of the material was already there and the chemistry between the singer and her band, personal and musical, was impossible to miss.
After some fan favourites, Mabro demonstrated a keen sense of pacing, bringing on singer Elsiane for a few duets, including the slow cabaret burner Slow Decline and a wonderful, hushed a capella reading of the jazz standard Nature Boy. Contortionist Andreane Leclerc added surreal circus-like visuals to Smoke.
And the band kept going for broke, building Say What You Want into a brain-damage crescendo, and upping the energy level of the pop pounder Believe or Be Left. The closing number, Don't It Feel Good, kicked off with Mabro removing her shoes. The gauntlet thrown down, she incited a singalong, rapped, twirled and leaped her way into a frenzy, as pianist Rick Coluccio played with runaway-train desperation and violinist Briga joyfully wailed away. That, my friends, was a set-ender.
And, hey, were those tears we saw Mabro wiping away when it was all over?
MONTREAL GAZETTE - OCT 2008
Thousands of converts drawn to Mabro's fusion of drama and attitude
Read full article by Bernard Perusse
RED ROWS REVIEWS:
"A groundbreaking ep!" says CBC RADIO 1 (Home run)
Jazz singing doesn't necessarily have to be all sultry, dreamy and supperclub-ish. God knows, there are plenty of vocalists out there covering that turf. Amanda Mabro is different: her songs grab you by the throat and look you in the eye with cool defiance. This is big-voiced, cabaret-influenced music with a bit of garage attitude.
-MONTREAL GAZETTE, March 2008
Amanda Mabro - Red Rows EP (Bitchin' Empire)
With a versatile vocal style ranging from a coquettish coo to a milk-curdling brassiness, Montreal's Amanda Mabro shines on this six-track disc, a departure from the Cabaret Band stylings of old. Backed by fluid arrangements of piano, guitars, percussion, violin, accordion and synths, and deftly produced by her right-hand man, Cozmos Quazar, Mabro & cie fuse what were once evident influences into something more modern and unique. A cover of Jolie Holland's "Old Fashioned Morphine" is an umbilical cord to the blues, but their timely tune "Nuit Blanche," in French and coated in pixie dust, sounds like a key to the future. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
- MONTREAL MIRROR, March 2008
HOT YOUNG SINGLES: Amanda Mabro: How Long. This robust, catchy number has a show-tune assertiveness that keeps it playing in your head all the time. And we do mean that in a good way. Available at: www.amandamabro.com and on her latest EP, Red Rows.
-MONTREAL GAZETTE, April 2008
"Red Rows" - Amanda Mabro - Bitchin' Empire Records
Fantastic E.P. from Montreal singer with a penchant for Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. But to call Mabro a jazz singer is a misnomer. Cuts like the Bandish "Better Day" and "Parlour" are a testament to her versatilty. A crystal like voice and soulful delivery make Mabro a force to be reckoned with. Mabro is certainly no Norah Jones bandwagoner. Her cabaret stuff like "Nuit Blanche" on "Red Rows" coupled with the unigue arrangements of her partner in song Cozmos Quazar allow Mabro's unique voice to be heard all in a class by herself. rating=8 .5/10
-CBC RADIO 1, May 2008
WINE FLOWS REVIEWS 2009:
Interview with The Concordian - Nov 2009
".la jeune Montréalaise prouve qu'elle continue de peaufiner un son bien à elle, mélangeant les sonorités du vieux jazz et le style théâtral des cabarets allemands et français à une approche indie bien moderne. Loin de tomber dans le vieux jazz rigide, Wine Flows est au contraire léger, exubérant et jeune." NIGHTLIFE Magazine
"Ah la la cette montréalaise aux multiples origines : autrichienne, égyptienne et grecque m'a fait tourné la tête avec sa magnifique voix bluesy aussi puissante que subtile, aussi profonde qu'émouvante, une voix maîtrisée avec brio.Un petit bijou de pop qui mêle avec un dosage subtil musique moderne et rétro. Cet ep diaboliquement séduisant vous introduira à une voix unique en son genre." With Music In My Mind Review Blog, Belgium
Brand new music video for "Nuit Blanche" by Meinert Hansen
Amanda Mabro - Nuit Blanche from Meinert Hansen on Vimeo.
A musical walk covering The Kinks' song "Alcohol"
At the 2008 Montreal Jazz Fest
"What's your Pleasure?" Trailer for Fall 2008 show
