AMANDA HOMI - CD TILL I REACH BOMBAY

Popis - TILL I REACH BOMBAY:
New York City-based singer-songwriter Amanda Homi's new album Till I Reach Bombay, is a celebration of Ms. Homi's affinity for music and dance from around the world. Born in London of English and Indian descent, Amanda's musical and spiritual travels are deeply explored in this new exuberant song collection. Her music effortlessly crosses genres (world, roots, classic, pop) at the drop of a hat as the characters of her songs journey from New York City to Greece, Italy, India, Colombia, Egypt and Spain (not necessarily in that order).  After seeing images of women dancing in protest as part of the Arab Spring, Amanda was reminded of a visit to Cairo as a young woman where she heard the wonderful music of Oum Kalthoum, Warda and Fairuz. She co-wrote 'Dancing Girls' with oud master Ara Dinkjian -- known for his international hits -- as an inspiring message for women to peacefully change the world.  'Lorca's Desire', with its haunting Afro-Peruvian rhythm, captures a time in the Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca's life in New York City in 1929.  Written from the imagined point of view of Lorca, Homi begins and ends the song by echoing Lorca's thoughts with a stanza from his poem 'Ditty of First Desire:  'In the green morning/I wanted to be a heart/a heart/And in the ripe evening/I wanted to be a nightingale.'   Lorca walks around Manhattan wrestling with his deepest longings and fears.  'Fly little birds to the end of the world/like a fire/Fly little birds carry my words/to my love/alma ponte color de amor'…. On the title track, 'Till I Reach Bombay',  set to a Bhangra beat, Amanda conquers her broken heart by cycling across the Hudson, through New Jersey over the Atlantic, eventually landing in Bombay, (Mumbai),  the birthplace of her grandfather.  'I realize this was a bit convoluted geographically, but in my head it all made sense,' says Amanda.  'I'll pedal across the Hudson river  Straight shot past the Jersey shore. (woo hoo hoooo)  Pedal all night and I'll pedal all day   and I won't stop Till I Reach Bombay'   'Cards Coins and Chaos', a fantastical tune inspired by Emir Kusturica and Tony Gatlif films and by Taref de Haidouks, Goran Bregovic and Greek Gypsy songs, is filled with colourful characters and the inevitable chaotic wedding scene. Amanda exclaims, 'I am a self- proclaimed 'Romabee'!: Being fascinated and in love with all things related to Romani or more widely and less politically correctly known as Gypsy culture.' The section sung by the 'Gypsy Chicks' was written using translations from one of Amanda's Romani dictionaries. 'I hope this is really what it means and that I did not accidentally offend anyone.' 'Don't kiss me  like a gajo,  (non gypsy gringo) kiss me beautifully like a gypsy.' 'Ma chumidav man gajikanes, chumidav man sukar romanes'  'Kaisariani' tells the nostalgic tale of Amanda's time spent in Greece as an eighteen year old, living in the historic Athenian neighborhood, Kaisariani. Making her living singing in a Bouzouki club at night, she fell in love with Greek music. The song is written as a Zeibekiko, one of the important rembetiko song forms introduced to Greece by refugees from Asia Minor who had settled in Kaisariani.  'Ladri di Biciclette (Bicycle Thieves)' is an energetic-Pink-Martini-esque story-song about a chain of loved, lost and/or stolen bicycles, composed in an Italian 'pizzica' style -- and of course the title was 'stolen' from the classic film. The album concludes with Amanda's stunning Spanish song 'Una Promesa', a cautionary tale about 'All the tender words we never speak/are the ones that we regret/All the promises we couldn't keep/are the hardest to forget.'  The album features Amanda Homi on lead and background vocals, zills and harmonium, accompanied by a remarkable cast of musicians and a rich palette of instruments from all over the globe. Graham Hawthorne (David Byrne, Paul Simon, Suzanne Vega) brings his vast knowledge of world music to the project as the producer, arranger, drummer and percussionist. Ara Dinkjian (Eleftheria Arvanataki, Sezen Aksu)) is featured on oud, cumbus and cura saz, Jon Albrink (guitar and vocals), Paul Frazier (Bass, bking vocals), Gary Schreiner (keyboards, accordion, harmonicas) and Joey Cardello (percussion) round out the rhythm section. Guest musicians include Todd Isler (kanjira), Carlinhos Avaco Almeida (cavaquinho),  Megan Gould (violin, baglamas),  Robert Muller (tabla), Joy Askew and Eugene Ruffolo (backing vocals), Guilherme Monteiro and Spiros Exaras (nylon string guitars), John Ragusa, Steve Kenyon and Charles Pillow (flutes and woodwinds). BIO:  London born Amanda Homi has travelled the world, lived in several countries, and currently makes New York City her home. She is a singer, songwriter, percussionist and dancer. Her first album, Drumgirls was released in 2004.  She recently co-produced with Jake Holmes a documentary about Latin Grammy lifetime achievement award recipient. the folkloric Colombian singer Toto La Momposina. Hosted by Amanda, La Colombiana (Passing the Torch), was shot on location in Colombia. Sonya Alexander, Examiner.com raved, 'La Colombiana is a must-see for anyone who appreciates cultural music and tradition.' The daughter of an actress and a physician, Amanda grew up dreaming of travel, began singing as a child, fell in love with languages and began her musical travel adventures at the age of eighteen. She has since studied dance and percussion in Brazil and Senegal, sung Rembetika in Greece, Gypsy Flamenco in Spain, filmed a documentary in Colombia, wrote and recorded Reggae in Jamaica and recently performed her music in Agadir with Moroccan musicians.   Amanda is a sought after studio session singer, recording countless songs for various artists and songwriters. She has performed and/or recorded with such formidable singer-songwriters and musicians as Jackson Browne,  Ray Lamontagne, Jane Siberry, Maxwell, Mavis Staples, They Might Be Giants,  Michael Brecker, John Pizzarelli, Grover Washington, Jr., Pete Seeger, Toots Thielmans and Toots Hibbert. Amanda is also a featured singer on E-Street Band Member Everett Bradley's Holidelic CD. She has also written and sung on many national commercials and wrote the theme to the popular TV show 'Bridezillas'. Amanda will be returning to Morocco in April for a series of concerts as a cultural exchange artist for the American Language Institute.