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| CMJ SHOWCASE - LATE NIGHT GROOVE SERIES: MAYA AZUCENA | ||||||||||||||
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Artists such as John Legend, Stephen Marley, the Isley Brothers, Joss Stone, Richard Bona, Lupe Fiasco, and Roberta Flack comprise a partial list. In addition to criss-crossing the US with riveting performances, she's toured all over China, England, the Philippines, Italy, Canada, Burma, Croatia, Netherlands, Sri Lanka and more. Croatian superstar Gibonni enlisted Maya's vocal talents for a track named "Andejo U Tebi" (''Angel In You''), that consequently won 2 Croatian Grammy awards (or Porin, as they are called). The critical acclaim for Maya has been worldwide and diverse in its acknowledgement of her undeniable talent. Her collaborations are many and her diversity is international. Maya's focus, however, lies with her own band and original music that has built an avid following throughout the world. Her sound has been compared to Alicia Keys, Lenny Kravitz, Lauryn Hill and Jill Scott. What lies in common between all the comparisons is the high energy, excellent live show and huge range. Maya recently hit Number 3 on BILLBOARD'S Hot Club Dance chart with the single, "Make It Happen" on Kult Records. Her song "Down Down" was featured on the hit HBO program "The Wire", her song "Set You Free" has been used by both Ford Motors and Coca-Cola, and she was commissioned to write two songs, "Live On" and "Cry Love", which were featured in the movie "Lockdown, USA". Maya's 2007 sophomore release, Junkyard Jewel, has earned accolades in such reputable publications as Recording Magazine and Billboard Magazine, among many others. The album is fueled by the guitar work and string arrangements of Christian Ver Halen (Maya's main song collaborator) and percussionist Ivan Katz, plus appearances by bassist Jason DiMatteo, violinist Tarrah Reynolds and cellist David Gotay. Maya's expressive voice shines on the breezy mid-tempo "Set You Free," the heart wrenched "Runaway Blues," and the soulful love song "Like No Other." Ballads such as "Wash Over" and the title cut "Junkyard Jewel" put Maya's soulful voice above the rest. Her rendition of "Hallelujah" has been a fan favorite at shows and now, finally recorded, is notable, inspiring, and spine-tingling. Maya describes her offering as "a collection of songs that express my personal feelings about the things I've lived through, the world I see around me, and the hope and faith I live by." Maya has also gathered accolades by her contribution to other successful projects. Maya's soaring and sensual performance is featured on producer/songwriter (and son of the legendary Bob Marley), Stephen Marley's Grammy winning release "Mind Control." An upcoming single with popular Parisian dance producer Bob Sinclair promises even more exposure. Her recent video, "Set you Free," is on rotation at BET-J, VH1 Soul, and other video channels. Her voice may even have grabbed your attention throug national commercials for Gillette, Johnson & Johnson, Nair, Icy Hot, Macy's, and many others. In line with her belief that music is a tool for healing and activism, Azucena supports many humanitarian causes with her talent. She sang on Washington DC's historic Mall in front of 20,000 people at the Save Darfur Rally, in solidarity with activists and celebrities such as Barack Obama, Al Sharpton, Russell Simmons, and George Clooney. She performed at the International Tsunami Relief show at The United Nations, she is featured on The ROOFTOP's cd "A Live Shot" which benefits musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina, she was invited two years in a row to be the official performer at the Race for the Cure in NYC's Central Park, and she self-produced Hope Night, a night of domestic abuse awareness which included NY's Governor David Paterson as a one of the speakers. As Performing Songwriter Magazine puts it: "Maya Who?! Won't be a question people ask for long." www.MayaWho.com *Best Female Vocalist nominee: Soul Tracks Readers Choice Awards'06 & '07 **Album of the Year nominee: Soul Tracks Readers Choice Awards '07 ***Best Live Performer of the Year: Agape Indie Soul Awards '07 ****Best Alternative Artist of the Year: AllHipHop.com '06 |
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