March 1, 2011 – Eclectic Canadian singer-songwriter NEeMA has been captivating music fans around the world for the past several years, and now she is bringing her distinctive voice and original songs to the U.S. with today’s release of her breakout album, Watching You Think. The album was produced by NEeMA in association with acclaimed musical icon Leonard Cohen, as well as noted producer Pierre Marchand (Sarah McLachlan, Ron Sexsmith). To give American audiences a taste of her unique sound, NEeMA, will be performing on tour across the U.S., beginning with appearances at Austin’s famed South By Southwest on March 16-19, followed by dates in New York, Boston, Washington D.C. and more. See below for NEeMA’s full 2011 itinerary.
NEeMA’s Watching You Think can be purchased now on iTunes and Amazon. Click here to sample tracks and view the video for “Escape,” the album’s first single.
Leonard Cohen is more than just a co-producer of this album; he is a musical mentor and fan of NEeMA’s. Of NEeMA’s work, he has said, “in the midst of all the static, a voice of true feeling arises – a rare event!” The legendary musician/poet/artist also drew the haunting portrait of NEeMA, which serves as the album’s cover. Like Cohen, NEeMA surrounds herself with only the best musicians, and the songs on Watching You Think are expertly fleshed out by some of Montreal’s finest: Howard Bilerman and Tim Kingsbury of alternative hitmakers Arcade Fire; Tom Mennier, who has performed with Martha and Rufus Wainwright; Gurpreet Chana, who recorded with Nelly Furtado; Joe Grass and Miles Perkin, who accompanied award-winning singer Lhasa de Sela; and Haig V, who co-produced Bran Van 3000’s album Glee. NEeMA has also added a newly recorded song, “Masi,” to the U.S. release; the track was inspired by the singer’s years of living and working with the Tlicho Indigenous People of Canada’s North.
NEeMA’s Watching You Think displays the artist’s international background and experience, seamlessly melding elements of world music, folk, and jazz with a good measure of pop. The album’s twelve original songs of love, life and simple observations are delivered in an uninhibited style. Already released in her native Canada, the album has garnered rave reviews from the top outlets. Paste Magazine praised the album, saying “the music is rich in the chamber pop and folk tradition, with a penchant for precise and delicate lyrics,” while The Globe & Mail called NEeMA “a gifted wordsmith…the settings are as thoughtful and detailed as the songs they adorn. A stunner.” The Calgary Herald praised the “strong sophomore effort that finds the artist chronicling both inner and outer turmoil in broad, poetic strokes,” while the Ottawa X Press said that “there’s no denying this new voice in music is a strong, individualistic and driven one.” The Winnipeg Sun aptly summed up NEeMA’s style as they described her “dreamy, introspective folk balladry delivered in mostly hushed tones and stylishly accented with strings and atmospheric production.”
NEeMA first arrived on the scene with her 2006 debut album Masi Cho, which was nominated for a MIMI (Montreal International Music Initiative) in the World & Roots category. Since then, NEeMA has toured Canada, Ireland, Australia, England and the U.S. In the summer of 2007 alone, she performed more than 33 concerts, including Nova Scotia’s Privateer Days Festival and the South Country Fair Festival in Alberta. Other highlights include her 2008 concert at the Electric Picnic Festival in Ireland, the 2008 Winterfolk Festival in Toronto and Canadian Music Week, and sold-out shows at the Montreal International Jazz Festival in both 2009 and 2010. She also performed an extensive series of fall 2010 tour dates across the U.S., including select performances with The Chapin Sisters.
Born in Montreal of Egyptian and Lebanese descent, NEeMA’s presence on and off stage is powerful and charismatic, and her voice has an honesty that appeals to audiences worldwide. She has traveled the globe, spending time with spiritual leaders including the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa; as well as the tribal elders of Wekweti, an isolated First Nation community in northern Canada. With her journeys, she has acquired an undeniable ability to communicate her stories through poetry and song, exploring those themes that are dear to the human heart.
NEeMA 2011 U.S. Tour Dates
March 16-19 Austin, TX South By Southwest
March 30 New York, NY Joe’s Pub (album release show)#
April 5 Evanston, IL Space *
April 7 East Lansing, MI Pasant Theater *
April 9 Traverse City, MI Traverse City Opera House *
April 12 Philadelphia, PA Tin Angel *
April 13 Washington D.C. Jammin’ Java *
April 15 Shelburne Falls, MA Mocha Maya’s #
April 16 Boston, MA Red Room #
# headlining set
* opening for Jesse Winchester
To learn more about NEeMA visit:
http://www.neema.ca/
http://www.facebook.com/NadineNEeMA
http://www.myspace.com/neemaste
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2NgAq2p_so