go to youtube.com to see live footage from the House of Blues Foundation Room 3/9/08
Influences
living in new york. living in la. fordham. childhood. bill withers, beethoven, stevie wonder, etta james, duran duran, depeche mode, sade, chet baker, astrud gilberto, any latin or bossa nova, jazz, portishead, miles davis, duke ellington, ella fitzgerald, no doubt, george michael, u2, r.e.m., michael stipe, pearl jam, foo fighters, frente, fiona apple, tori amos, hole, laura nyro, ben folds five, al green, alanis morisette, bjork, the beatles, sarah mclachlan, natalie merchant and 10,000 maniacs, the cranberries, live, carole king, cal tjader, morissey, radiohead, the doors, donna summer, dusty springfield, earth wind and fire, hall & oates, xanadu, madonna, led zeppelin, lenny kravitz, mogwai, sea and cake, otis redding, red hot chili peppers, my dad, my mom, my family, my brother, my friends.
Within a short time Nicole Blanco, "the Latin Sade/Norah Jones type" has done what is difficult for many musicians to achieve in a lifetime, but you’d never know it by talking with her, "It all just kind of happened, so I’m just going with it". You’ll find her attitude is very nonchalant considering that in only two years of playing music publicly she has amassed an impressive repertoire of original songs, refined her craft as a pianist, taught herself to play guitar, has played gigs in clubs and lounges in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City.
Nicole Blanco is a rare find in the music industry. Her music and onstage personality has a vulnerability that keeps her audience enraptured. Her deft piano playing lays the canvas for her unique vocal stylings to paint landscapes of love-loss, heartache, celebration of the spirit and hope.
It is Nicole’s songwriting however, that truly sets her apart from the pack of dime-a-dozen lounge singers. Rare is it, indeed to find someone with her depth of emotion who is able to alchemize it miraculously into bittersweet melodies that span the musical spectrum from pop, world, salsa, electronica to 70s NYC East Village folk. The overwhelming positive response and interest in her music, which she is currently recording in the studio is a tribute to her ability to make genuinely well-crafted and very listenable music. And she sings in Spanish also!
To see Nicole Blanco perform live is to fall in love with Nicole Blanco. Her music evokes a trust and childish glee from her audience the feeling that you’re reading a dear friends journal entry by flashlight under a childs tent. It is in this atmosphere where the subtlety and tenderness of her lyrics find space to grow and dawn on the minds of all-too-willing listeners.
Nicole Blanco is an original. Those who experience her live or hear her music may draw comparisons to other piano and acoustic guitar-based musicians such as Fiona Apple, Alicia Keys, Dido, Sade, and Norah Jones. These comparisons, however, flattering they may be, are made by those who are unable to accept a new musical force for exactly what it is - new.
Nicole Blanco is a star. She may be an unlikely star whos not full of herself, pretense, angst or any of the other unfortunate characteristics that too-frequently accompany stardom. She is a star that the music world needs desperately. A star who is unafraid to communicate the pain of being alive and the hope that belongs to those few of tremendous spirit. And stars of this caliber dont come around often.
Hey girl - Sorry I missed you last night - looks like a great list of upcoming shows...I'll see you soon.
Just posted another track from the upcoming album - the song's called 'The Breakdown' & features Pete Yorn on vocals! Check it out and let me know whatcha think.
Chica...when's the next trip to Peru? Vamos! Hey beautiful...I'm working Taos Solar Music Festival soon...we got Colective Soul! Come visit me in Santa Fe...fly don't drive ;)
:) Mahalo for the message! Will definitely have to get back with you about next week Sunday. I've got You Are Beautiful up on my profile ~ love that song! The Undertow gets much playtime around here.... Be well, Nicole! Sending you much love and Aloha ~ always....
Aloha Nicole ~ Steven and I were there in spirit with you on Sunday. I can't shake this cough ~ didn't want to share with you and I'm certain that the crowd would not have been too thrilled listening to me coughing while you were on stage performing! See you soon! May your day be peaceful, full of light and productive...
:) May this message find you doing well. Miss talking to you. A lot is going on right now. Would you like to celebrate my birthday with me tomorrow night at a wine tasting taking place at my friends Wine Shoppe? Drop me a message and I'll send you the details.
