Annie Lennox, the Greatest White Soul Singer

Listening to an old Eurythmics album of mine recently brought back a lot of treasured memories of the 80’s. Who could forget Annie Lennox’s deep and soothing voice in hit songs like “Here Comes the Rain Again”, “The Miracle of Love” and “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”?

Photo: Helge Øverås

Few are aware that Eurythmics was Annie Lennox’s second band, admittedly way more successful than The Tourists, her first collaboration with Dave Stewart, founded in 1977. Bang at the start of the 80’s, the duo formed Eurythmics, a band prominently featuring the synthesizer alongside Lennox’s distinctive voice. Read more

Inspiring! Sade’s Soldier of Love

For any singer and songwriter, as important as composing and bringing that inner song out into the world is finding the inspiration to do so. Readers of my blog will know that nature is often the source that I turn to but as important is staying in touch with works of colleagues and fellow artists. There are few who inspire with their music as much as with their personal stories but Sade is one of them.

I was hooked ever since I heard her first album Diamond Life with that breakthrough song “Smooth Operator.” More albums and other favorites like “The Sweetest Taboo,” “Love Is Stronger Than Pride,” “By Your Side” and of course “No Ordinary Love” followed. One of the proudest moments in my career as a singer was when my voice and style was compared to that of Sade, a veteran of the music industry!

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New Music Releases for New Age Fans

In 2010, more people than ever are enjoying new age music.  If you are looking for some hot new music releases in the genre, you are in the right place!   We cover new age spirituality and frequently review new age artists in this blog.

As a singer songwriter myself, I definitely have some favorites.  Yet, I always find something special to enjoy in each of the many new age cds that I hear.

Come and have a listen to some of the most recent hits this year!

First up is the amazing voice of Deva Premal.  She released a new CD in February 2010, entitled Mantras for Precarious Times.

While there is not yet a music video available showcasing her songs, you can get an idea of this very talented new age vocalist who integrates world music influences in Moola Mantra, Part 1:

If you would like to preview Deva Premal’s new music releases on her 2010 album, visit Amazon.com here.

Next, popular new age music artist and pianist George Winston has also released a new album this year.  Love Will Come – the Music of Vince Guaraldi, Volume 2 is for sale, as of February 2010.  The album is a tribute to jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi (1928-1976), who is perhaps best known for his music compositions for a number of  Charlie Brown television specials.  Who can forget his “Christmastime is here” song in “A Charlie Brown Christmas”?

I really love this tribute by George Winston to the “Peanuts” characters, in “Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown“:

Also released in 2010 is a New World Album from John Serrie, entitled “Thousand Star.”  In the electronic music genre, the review of this CD on Amazon.com states:

“His epic works embrace the expansiveness of space, making the mysterious understandable and the soul accessible. His newest work, Thousand Star, is a sonic science fiction novel told with music and sound. These wondrous tracks take listeners on a musical odyssey into deep space, to serene galaxies of starlight and mystery. With each listen of Serrie’s works, a new ethereal voyage unfolds.”

I wonder what you think?  Although the new music release is not yet on YouTube, you can listen to one of Serrie’s previous songs, “Fantasy Passages”:

Finally, let’s take a listen to a new music release in January 2010, “Dancing into Silence,” by R. Carlos Nakai, William Eaton and Will Clipman.  Native American influences are showcased through flute, harp guitar, harmonies and ethnic percussion.

Dancing Into Silence interweaves individual songs to create a continuous music-scape featuring the haunting sound of Native American flute, the rich harmonies and timbres of harp guitar, and subtle textures of world ethnic percussion.

This unique sound can be heard in a previous release, “Dreaming a Life.”

With so many new music releases already this year, its easy to find selections to give as new age gifts!

If you liked this post, be sure to see Fall in Love With New World Music and Enjoy the Best New Age Music.

Marketing for Musicians: Sell What you Love

Do you love to sing?  Think you could sell a few albums?  Trust me, its not the easiest job in the world, but you know the saying:  “Do what you love and you’ll never work another day in your life!”

For me, singing and producing albums is the fun part.  Marketing the music takes some effort, but with my plan and supportive people to help me, its also an enjoyable task.

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Love Songs You’ll Love

You don’t have to be a romantic at heart to enjoy love songs.  But if you are… this is certainly a wonderful time of year!  From Valentine’s Day to spring romance – even weddings might be on the horizon for you or someone you know.

Classic, enduring love songs celebrate the range of emotions.  From new love to heartbreak, there is something for everyone.  Don’t believe me?  Come along and let’s enjoy some classic musical selections about love.  Even if you don’t envision Cupid fluttering around or hear angels singing choruses above, you’re bound to feel your heart lift a little.

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