Alejandra Ribera — La Boca
♠≈ “Každá skladba je o tom mít odvahu následovat své instinkty a to mne přivádí do nádherně podivných míst..., může se to stát i vám.”
♠≈ La Boca je bohatě strukturované, vícejazyčné album, zrcadlící kořeny umělkyně. Předsevzala si během svých cest, že ho chce realizovat. Mezi své největší vlivy uvádí Rufuse Wainwrighta, Chavela Vargase a dudy a nyní dělí svůj čas mezi Montrealem, Paříží a Málagou, kde i nadále tvoří. Nejvíc ze všeho pokračuje v následování svých instinktů a reakcí srdce a tato její věrná oddanost ji zůstala.
♠≈ “Imagine Louis Armstrong, Tom Waits and Chavela Vargas downing shots in a Barcelona bordello.” — Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail
♠≈ “The Toronto woman with Scottish and Argentinean roots is a rising star whose voice has been compared to the likes of Edith Piaf, Björk, and Tom Waits.” — Lesley Leroux, The Telegram
♠≈ A seductive performer. An innovative songwriter. Alejandra Ribera draws her audience into an intimate world of abandoned satellites, deep sea landscapes and mythical deities. A world where inventive melodies are woven passionately in English, French and Spanish. Often compared to artists like Tom Waits and Kate Bush, creating a timeless atmosphere with her distinctive voice and evocative performances, Ribera lives between Paris and Montreal, mesmerizing audiences on both continents. ♠≈ Collaborating with renowned producer Jean Massicotte, Ribera took a year to distill 11 original compositions and one cover into an exquisite album entitled "La boca" releasing February 4, 2014 in Canada.
Born: Toronto, Ontario
Location: Montreal, QC ~ Toronto, Ontario, CANADA ~ Paris, France
Album release: February 4, 2014
Record Label: Pheromone Records
Duration: 53:23
Tracks:
01 La boca 3:53
02 Goodnight Persephone 4:24
03 No me sigas 2:57
04 Bad Again 4:32
05 I Want 5:15
06 Cien lunas 3:18
07 Mars 4:27
08 Relojes 2:18
09 St. Augustine 4:35
10 Un cygne, la nuit 6:35
11 500 miles 5:13
12 Satellite 5:56
Influences:
♠≈ Tori Amos
♠≈ Rufus Wainwright
Notes:
♠≈ She won the SOCAN Songwriting Prize in 2014 for her composition "I Want".
© Sébastien Crête
REVIEW
By Michael J. Warren; Score: 9
♠ Alejandra Ribera has an amazing album on her hands, although she apparently has had it in her hands for a couple years now. Now that it’s finally been released, the world has become a slightly better place — or perhaps she has simply taken the better things the world has to offer and synthesized them into one near perfect set of recordings.
♠ Performed in English, Spanish and French, La Boca cohesively unifies elements of Ribera’s international influences. From the bagpipes of “Goodnight Persephone” to the bevy of latin percussion on “No Me Sigas” to the second line swing of “Bad Again,” the album amalgamates brilliantly. With a voice reminiscent of a low-register Leela James, and often compared to Björk, the accompanied arrangements from producer Jean Massicotte allow room for Ribera’s every breath.
♠ While the slow slide guitar-driven rendition of the Proclaimers’ “500 Miles” is a little too sleepy for my tastes, the sonically similar but much more dynamic “St. Augustine” takes the listener on a hauntingly enjoyable journey. “I Want” is the stand out single, and it suggests that Ribera will continue the tradition of Feist and Serena Ryder in creating a new and unique pop niche. La Boca is a remarkable record, and now is the right time for it. Fortaken: http://exclaim.ca/
Website: http://www.alejandraribera.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alejandraribera
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/alejandraribera
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alejandraribera
Agent: Booking Agent (Canada): Richard Mills Booking Agent (Quebec): Nathalie Bourget-Agence
Management: Pandyamonium Management
Label Relations (Canada): Esra Firatli
Booking Agent (Canada): Richard Mills
Booking Agent (Quebec): Nathalie Bourget-Agence
Publicity: Ken Beattie
Synchronization Licenses (Canada): Avi Diamond
Worldwide Licensing Inquiries:
ABOUT
♠ “I’ve read that the gestation period of an African elephant is roughly 645 days. That’s approximately what it took to make La boca“.
Alejandra Ribera
♠ In an industry increasingly driven by the instant gratification factor, it’s rare to find an artist willing to let an album gestate a whole year before declaring it complete. It’s rarer still to leave the finished product in a vault another year whilst refining the creative team and art direction. That’s exactly what Alejandra Ribera did in preparing the long-awaited release of her second album, La boca. (Pheromone Recordings).
♠ Following the success of Ribera’s self-produced Navigator, Navigather in 2009 and after being discovered by CBC Radio during her residency at Toronto’s legendary Cameron House, Ribera began performing at folk, jazz and world music festivals across the country (Festival International de Jazz de Montreal and Luminato Festival).
Her sound, unmistakable as it is undefinable, has garnered the attention of her contemporaries. She was invited to sing “I Am Cuba” on the Skydiggers album She Comes Into the Room and performed alongside blues queen Jackie Richardson, Steven Page (ex-Barenaked Ladies), Teddy Thompson, the Art of Time Ensemble and Quartetto Gelato at Koerner and Massey Hall respectively.
♠ At the moment most artists would feel pressure to return to the studio, Ribera decided to leave the country. “I wasn’t ready to record, so I went to Spain to collect my thoughts.” What resulted was the crafting of her first three Spanish songs and a landmark decision to enlist the help of Montreal-based producer Jean Massicotte (Pierre Lapointe, Patrick Watson). “I needed someone I trusted implicitly, and Jean’s work told me he was that person. I waited three years until he was available. The day we met, I knew I made the right decision.” Two weeks later Alejandra moved to Montreal to commence recording.
♠ Upon arriving, Ribera received a second affirmation via an invitation to perform at an hommage for the late Lhasa de Sela at Montreal’s Rialto Theatre. The show included guests Ariane Moffatt, Plants and Animals, Andrew Whiteman (Apostle of Hustle) and Brazilian singer Bïa. It would prove a prophetic introduction and led to repeat performances in France with Patrick Watson and The Barr Brothers at Printemps de Bourges. It also inspired a collaboration with esteemed musician and producer Yves Desrosiers. A similarly fated introduction to French singer Arthur H resulted in the only duet that appears on La boca. Jean Massicotte had previously produced Arthur’s duet “La chanson de Satie” with Canadian star Leslie Feist. The track, entitled “Un cygne la nuit” was adapted to French by renowned songwriter Jim Corcoran who has long championed Alejandra as “serenely sensual, poetic, playful and profound …”
♠ Asked to describe the record Alejandra muses that “at the centre, each song is about having the courage to follow your instinct and the wonderful strange places it can lead you.”
♠ La boca, a richly textured, multilingual album that reflects the artist’s roots as much as the journey she took to bring it to fruition. The artist, who cites amongst her greatest influences Rufus Wainwright, Chavela Vargas, and bagpipes, now divides her time between Montreal, Paris and Malaga where she continues to create. Most of all she continues to follow her instincts and respond to her heart which has faithfully led her this far.
♠ Alejandra Ribera is ready.
____________________________________________________________
♠≈ “Každá skladba je o tom mít odvahu následovat své instinkty a to mne přivádí do nádherně podivných míst..., může se to stát i vám.”
♠≈ La Boca je bohatě strukturované, vícejazyčné album, zrcadlící kořeny umělkyně. Předsevzala si během svých cest, že ho chce realizovat. Mezi své největší vlivy uvádí Rufuse Wainwrighta, Chavela Vargase a dudy a nyní dělí svůj čas mezi Montrealem, Paříží a Málagou, kde i nadále tvoří. Nejvíc ze všeho pokračuje v následování svých instinktů a reakcí srdce a tato její věrná oddanost ji zůstala.
♠≈ “Imagine Louis Armstrong, Tom Waits and Chavela Vargas downing shots in a Barcelona bordello.” — Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail
♠≈ “The Toronto woman with Scottish and Argentinean roots is a rising star whose voice has been compared to the likes of Edith Piaf, Björk, and Tom Waits.” — Lesley Leroux, The Telegram
♠≈ A seductive performer. An innovative songwriter. Alejandra Ribera draws her audience into an intimate world of abandoned satellites, deep sea landscapes and mythical deities. A world where inventive melodies are woven passionately in English, French and Spanish. Often compared to artists like Tom Waits and Kate Bush, creating a timeless atmosphere with her distinctive voice and evocative performances, Ribera lives between Paris and Montreal, mesmerizing audiences on both continents. ♠≈ Collaborating with renowned producer Jean Massicotte, Ribera took a year to distill 11 original compositions and one cover into an exquisite album entitled "La boca" releasing February 4, 2014 in Canada.
Born: Toronto, Ontario
Location: Montreal, QC ~ Toronto, Ontario, CANADA ~ Paris, France
Album release: February 4, 2014
Record Label: Pheromone Records
Duration: 53:23
Tracks:
01 La boca 3:53
02 Goodnight Persephone 4:24
03 No me sigas 2:57
04 Bad Again 4:32
05 I Want 5:15
06 Cien lunas 3:18
07 Mars 4:27
08 Relojes 2:18
09 St. Augustine 4:35
10 Un cygne, la nuit 6:35
11 500 miles 5:13
12 Satellite 5:56
Influences:
♠≈ Tori Amos
♠≈ Rufus Wainwright
Notes:
♠≈ She won the SOCAN Songwriting Prize in 2014 for her composition "I Want".
REVIEW
By Michael J. Warren; Score: 9
♠ Alejandra Ribera has an amazing album on her hands, although she apparently has had it in her hands for a couple years now. Now that it’s finally been released, the world has become a slightly better place — or perhaps she has simply taken the better things the world has to offer and synthesized them into one near perfect set of recordings.
♠ Performed in English, Spanish and French, La Boca cohesively unifies elements of Ribera’s international influences. From the bagpipes of “Goodnight Persephone” to the bevy of latin percussion on “No Me Sigas” to the second line swing of “Bad Again,” the album amalgamates brilliantly. With a voice reminiscent of a low-register Leela James, and often compared to Björk, the accompanied arrangements from producer Jean Massicotte allow room for Ribera’s every breath.
♠ While the slow slide guitar-driven rendition of the Proclaimers’ “500 Miles” is a little too sleepy for my tastes, the sonically similar but much more dynamic “St. Augustine” takes the listener on a hauntingly enjoyable journey. “I Want” is the stand out single, and it suggests that Ribera will continue the tradition of Feist and Serena Ryder in creating a new and unique pop niche. La Boca is a remarkable record, and now is the right time for it. Fortaken: http://exclaim.ca/
Website: http://www.alejandraribera.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alejandraribera
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/alejandraribera
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alejandraribera
Agent: Booking Agent (Canada): Richard Mills Booking Agent (Quebec): Nathalie Bourget-Agence
Management: Pandyamonium Management
Label Relations (Canada): Esra Firatli
Booking Agent (Canada): Richard Mills
Booking Agent (Quebec): Nathalie Bourget-Agence
Publicity: Ken Beattie
Synchronization Licenses (Canada): Avi Diamond
Worldwide Licensing Inquiries:
ABOUT
♠ “I’ve read that the gestation period of an African elephant is roughly 645 days. That’s approximately what it took to make La boca“.
Alejandra Ribera
♠ In an industry increasingly driven by the instant gratification factor, it’s rare to find an artist willing to let an album gestate a whole year before declaring it complete. It’s rarer still to leave the finished product in a vault another year whilst refining the creative team and art direction. That’s exactly what Alejandra Ribera did in preparing the long-awaited release of her second album, La boca. (Pheromone Recordings).
♠ Following the success of Ribera’s self-produced Navigator, Navigather in 2009 and after being discovered by CBC Radio during her residency at Toronto’s legendary Cameron House, Ribera began performing at folk, jazz and world music festivals across the country (Festival International de Jazz de Montreal and Luminato Festival).
Her sound, unmistakable as it is undefinable, has garnered the attention of her contemporaries. She was invited to sing “I Am Cuba” on the Skydiggers album She Comes Into the Room and performed alongside blues queen Jackie Richardson, Steven Page (ex-Barenaked Ladies), Teddy Thompson, the Art of Time Ensemble and Quartetto Gelato at Koerner and Massey Hall respectively.
♠ At the moment most artists would feel pressure to return to the studio, Ribera decided to leave the country. “I wasn’t ready to record, so I went to Spain to collect my thoughts.” What resulted was the crafting of her first three Spanish songs and a landmark decision to enlist the help of Montreal-based producer Jean Massicotte (Pierre Lapointe, Patrick Watson). “I needed someone I trusted implicitly, and Jean’s work told me he was that person. I waited three years until he was available. The day we met, I knew I made the right decision.” Two weeks later Alejandra moved to Montreal to commence recording.
♠ Upon arriving, Ribera received a second affirmation via an invitation to perform at an hommage for the late Lhasa de Sela at Montreal’s Rialto Theatre. The show included guests Ariane Moffatt, Plants and Animals, Andrew Whiteman (Apostle of Hustle) and Brazilian singer Bïa. It would prove a prophetic introduction and led to repeat performances in France with Patrick Watson and The Barr Brothers at Printemps de Bourges. It also inspired a collaboration with esteemed musician and producer Yves Desrosiers. A similarly fated introduction to French singer Arthur H resulted in the only duet that appears on La boca. Jean Massicotte had previously produced Arthur’s duet “La chanson de Satie” with Canadian star Leslie Feist. The track, entitled “Un cygne la nuit” was adapted to French by renowned songwriter Jim Corcoran who has long championed Alejandra as “serenely sensual, poetic, playful and profound …”
♠ Asked to describe the record Alejandra muses that “at the centre, each song is about having the courage to follow your instinct and the wonderful strange places it can lead you.”
♠ La boca, a richly textured, multilingual album that reflects the artist’s roots as much as the journey she took to bring it to fruition. The artist, who cites amongst her greatest influences Rufus Wainwright, Chavela Vargas, and bagpipes, now divides her time between Montreal, Paris and Malaga where she continues to create. Most of all she continues to follow her instincts and respond to her heart which has faithfully led her this far.
♠ Alejandra Ribera is ready.
____________________________________________________________