Ellen Bukstel

Artist Information

Biography

Hailed By Pop Star Michael Bolton as “An Amazing Artist And Spirit,” Bukstel—a mulit-faceted singer-songwriter draws from her roller coaster of a life to bring hope, laughter, tears, biting wit and inspiration to this irresistibly eclectic CD... Daddy’s Little Girl.

MUSIC AWARDS & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

2011 EMERGING ARTIST / HONORABLE MENTION Falcon Ridge Folk Festival
2011 HONORABLE MENTION Woody Guthrie Song Competition
2011 NOMINEE Empower Posi Awards
2010 INTERNATIONAL WINNER New Zealand PEACE SONG Comp
2009 FINALIST/FOLK CATEGORY John Lennon Song Writing Comp
2009 SECOND PLACE Susquehanna Music & Arts Fest Song Writing Comp
2008 WINNER Hollywood Music Awards, Best Political Song of the Year
2008 WINNER Paul Stookey’s Music To Life PDFoundation Song Comp
2008 WINNER Breaking The Silence in Song/Domestic Violence Theme Song Comp
2007 WINNER Wildflower Arts & Music Festival, Singer/Songwriter Comp
2007 FINALIST South Florida Folk Festival National Songwriting Competition
2007 FINALIST Plowshares National Song Writing Competition
2006 HONORABLE MENTION Woody Guthrie National Songwriting Competition
2006 SEMI-FINALIST (top 40) Paul Stookey’s Music To Life Song Competition
2005 FINALIST South Florida Folk Festival National Songwriting Competition
2004 FINALIST (comedy)USA Songwriting Competition
2004 FINALIST Woody Guthrie National Songwriting Competition
2004 FINALIST South Florida Folk Festival National Songwriting Competition
2003 HONORABLE MENTION Woody Guthrie Songwriting Competition
2003 FINALIST OSCA “One Plus One” (Oklahoma Songwriters & Composers Association)
2003 AUDIENCE CHOICE South Florida Folk Festival National Songwriting Competition
2003 FINALIST South Florida Folk Festival National Songwriting Competition
2002 FINALIST USA Songwriting Competition
2002 FINALIST New Folk Songwriting Competition, Kerrville Folk Festival

COMMUNITY SEVICE & FUNDRAISING

2008 and 2010 12 Music Fundraising Video Awards

PRELIMINARY GRAMMY BALLOT

YEAR 2010 GENERAL FIELD / Song Of The Year / By My Silence
YEAR 2010 BEST COUNTRY PERFORMANCE / DUO / Bukstel & Annis / By My Silence
YEAR 2008 FOLK / Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album / Daddy’s Little Girl
YEAR 2008 MUSIC VIDEO / Best Short Form Music Video / You’re Not Better Than Me
YEAR 2008 GOSPEL / Best Gospel Song / Tikkun Olam Repair The World
YEAR 2008 GENERAL FIELD / Best New Artist / Ellen Bukstel

FOLK RADIO CHARTS

YEAR 2010 Top Songs / #58 / By My Silence
JUNE 2010 Top Songs / #19 / Daddy’s Little Girl
MAY 2010 Top Songs / #4 / By My Silence
NOVEMBER 2008 Top Songs / They Lost My Vote
NOVEMBER 2008 Top Albums / #22 / Daddy’s Little Girl
NOVEMBER 2008 Top Artists / #38 / Ellen Bukstel

More than 40 music and video awards and acknowledgements since 2002. Go to: www.ellenbukstel.com for the current list.

“Ellen Bukstel's beautiful voice and poignant lyrics on her track, "You’re Not Better Than Me" create an anthem and a voice for the thousands of survivors and victims of Domestic Violence who hopefully know that they are not alone. I was honoured to have judged the song contest that led us to Ellen–an amazing artist and spirit. Watch the video, listen to the song and you will know what I know–that Ellen has managed to capture the horror of Domestic Violence while providing hope for thousands – all in a ballad that stands on its own as a great song.”
- Michael Bolton, Two Time Grammy Winner Singer, Songwriter and Social Activist

"Keep on singin, girl! You have a gorgeous voice. Your work is fantastic...you are as good as it gets in every way that matters –your passion, your voice, your musicianship, your meticulous recordings."
- Christin Lavin, Singer/Songwriter

“Based on a concept that is important and famous, ‘By My Silence’ makes the point powerfully and well. Lots of good song craft here with a deeply important message. All to the good"
- Peter Yarrow, from 'Peter Paul & Mary'

‘Tikkun Olam’–"Wish I'd written this – a Weavers or PP&M hit!"
- Janis Ian, Recording Artist & Singer/Songwriter

‘By My Silence’–"Fine old fashioned political songwriting is alive and well in this familiar text"
– Holly Near, Recording Artist & Singer/Songwriter


A regular mainstage act at most Florida Folk Festivals Ellen is always challenging her listeners to laugh, dig deep and embrace the wild emotional roller coaster we call life with every daring turn of phrase…Ellen Bukstel is a rare, bold, real deal maverick…a multi-faceted break the mold original that lays her emotions bare, puts her passions on the line and, without fear, makes the world perk up and pay attention.Drawing from a rich lifetime of personal experiences, she brings hope, laughter, tears, biting wit and inspiration to everything she records and performs.

A consummate artist whose community activism and musical vibe harkens back to the 60s–even as she addresses the world, often in provocative terms, very much in present tense inspiring and exciting fans with her straight talking, heart on her sleeve, from her soul to yours lyrics. Those who have heard her music—including the full sweep of the 15 tracks on her independent debut album Daddy’s Little Girl—quickly agree with pop superstar Michael Bolton, who calls Ellen “an amazing artist and spirit.” But they seriously have no idea whether to laugh or cry. The good news is, they can do both, drying their tears the minute she angles for their funny bone.

Frequently hilarious, she writes about everything from menopause and voting in South Florida, then tugs the heartstrings on poignant pieces about love and loss that try to find meaning in the world. On songs like “Wooden Box” and “Grow Up And Change The World,” she comes to terms as best she can with the tragedy that inspired her to begin her songwriting journey: losing her beloved husband Doug Segal, a hemophiliac who contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion and died in 1988 at age 36. For Bukstel, music has been a way of expressing her strong opinions—and while some reduce her listeners to tears, others come out hysterically funny.

This type of happy-sad, life embracing, fear-overcoming emotional schizophrenia truly captures the spirit of modern independent music making—whatever the artist feels in that moment, she shares…and whatever else Ellen is, she’s not shy about it.

It’s also won her a bucketful of high profile songwriting competitions over the years. Thirteen out of the fifteen songs on her Solo CD Daddy’s Little Girl have either won or have been awarded top honors in various prestigious songwriting competitions and some have been acknowledged multiple times.

Instrumentation

Ellen Bukstel-Guitar & Keyboard
Gary Bukstel-Guitar & Keyboard

Discography

• NEW CD COMING IN MARCH
• DADDY'S LITTLE GIRL - Ellen Bukstel
• SOMEWHERE IN TIME - Legacy
• BORN TO SING - Gary & Ellen Bukstel and Amy Carol Webb

• COMPILATION: SingOut Summer Issue
• COMPILATION: Dr.Demento's Basement Tapes #12
• COMPILATION: Protest Songs For A Better World
• COMPILATION: Mamapalooza: Moms Who Rock
• COMPILATION: OASIS Volume VIII #21 Acoustic
• COMPILATION: Remembering Rachel
• COMPILATION: More Life In The Years
• COMPILATION: Music To Life
• COMPILATION: emPower Posi Awards

Official Website

http://www.ellenbukstel.com

Links

• Facebook
• Twitter
• MySpace
• YouTube

Audio

• -Who's The Pusher Now
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• -Daddy's Little Girl
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• By My Silence-NEW
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• -You're Not Better Than Me
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• -Is It Hot In Here Or Is It Me?
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• -Tikkun Olam Repair The World
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• -Somebody's Child
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• -Wanna Dance With You Forever
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• A FEW SMALL MIRACLES (song version)
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• By My Silence
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Lyrics

• Who's The Pusher Now
• Daddy' Little Girl
• You're Not Better Than Me
• Is It Hot In Here, Or Is It Me?
• Tikkun Olam Repair The World
• Hey Mr. Politician
• Somebody's Child
• I Wanna Dance With You Forever
• By My Silence
• Unexpectedly

Video

Ellen-Daddy's Little Girl-sonic

EllenBukstel-By MySilence-sonic

Photo Gallery

Press

• ELLEN - AN AMAZING ARTISTS & SPIRIT [+ Show ]
  

  “Ellen Bukstel's beautiful voice and poignant lyrics on her track, "You’re Not Better Than Me" creat...“Ellen Bukstel's beautiful voice and poignant lyrics on her track, "You’re Not Better Than Me" create an anthem and a voice for the thousands of survivors and victims of Domestic Violence who hopefully know that they are not alone. I was honoured to have judged the song contest that led us to Ellen–an amazing artist and spirit. Watch the video, listen to the song and you will know what I know–that Ellen has managed to capture the horror of Domestic Violence while providing hope for thousands – all in a ballad that stands on its own as a great song.”
  

• LOTS OF GOOD SONG CRAFT HERE... [+ Show ]
  

  “Based on a concept that is important and famous, By My Silence makes the point powerfully and well....“Based on a concept that is important and famous, By My Silence makes the point powerfully and well. Lots of good song craft here with a deeply important message. All to the good!”

• KEEP ON SINGING.. [+ Show ]
  

  "Keep on singin, girl! You have a gorgeous voice. Your work is fantastic...you are as good as it ge... "Keep on singin, girl! You have a gorgeous voice. Your work is fantastic...you are as good as it gets in every way that matters -- your passion, your voice, your musicianship, your meticulous recordings...."
  

• FINE OLD FASHIONED POLITICAL SONGWRITING...
  

  “Fine old fashioned political song writing is alive and well in this familiar text”

• A WEAVERS OR PP&M HIT
  

  Tikkun Olam, Repair The World – “Wish I'd written this – a Weavers or PP&M hit!”

• POWERFUL VOICE, INSIGHTFUL LYRICS, PASSIONATE PERFORMANCE [+ Show ]
  

  It is a treat to witness the evolution of a significant talent. Ellen expresses that imagination wit...It is a treat to witness the evolution of a significant talent. Ellen expresses that imagination with her beautiful voice, guitar and keyboard. Her award winning songs chronicle the joys and sorrows of a colorful tapestry still being woven...She conveys a depth of concern for the ever-increasing threats to world peace and to our own democratic rights. All this is related to the audience through a brave, though humorous and earthy connection between the world of musical performance and that of the social “bard” or “troubadour” from which the most powerful and relevant strand of folk music derives it’s roots. It’s not an act. It’s real. -David Engels

• BROTHER & SISTER DUO SHINE [+ Show ]
  

  Brother - and - sister team Ellen and Gary Bukstel form the core of the folk-pop ensemble Legacy, wh...Brother - and - sister team Ellen and Gary Bukstel form the core of the folk-pop ensemble Legacy, which also includes multi-instrumentalist and singer Andy Neuman. Their album “Somewhere in Time”.....brims with love songs, some heart wrenching, others perky. Outstanding tunes include the title track and “Another Place in Time.” Profound yearning — for kinship, tranquility, re-connection with a lost love — is the theme in both ballads, which feature Ellen’s warm voice and the trio’s Peter, Paul, and Mary-sounding harmonies. Gary’s adroit finger picking shimmers
  -Nina Korman

• A RARE TREAT [+ Show ]
  

  How about a wonderful evening of listening to one of the most beautiful songbirds in South Florida.....How about a wonderful evening of listening to one of the most beautiful songbirds in South Florida...from Ellen’s sweet lilting voice to the perfectly played acoustic guitars, keyboard and percussion, you’re in for a rare treat and a memorable night.
  . . . Carol Ulbrich,

• THE ROOM QUAKED [+ Show ]
  

  ...The music filled the room, with harmonies entwining like good lattice work. As I listened to the ......The music filled the room, with harmonies entwining like good lattice work. As I listened to the lyrics I wondered how they could possibly know so much about me....who told? Then someone made a comment in a similar vain, so I guess the universality of the lyric sentiments became obvious. What also had powerful impact for me was the stage presence. The strong eye contact (especially Ellen's) and response made me feel like a participant rather than an observer. The evening was filled with original music and came to a strong ending. The room quaked
  . . . . . Deanie Heller

• MOST WONDERFUL TALENT EVER TO GRACE OUR STAGE [+ Show ]
  

  "When I went to the Gamble Fest, I attended Janice Ian's master class on "The Responsibilities of an..."When I went to the Gamble Fest, I attended Janice Ian's master class on "The Responsibilities of an Artist". Janice does not suffer fools and I know she does not pass out compliments unless they are totally and supremely deserved. I understand why she would use superlatives after listening to you. You are one of the most wonderful talents to ever grace our stage. Yes, you entertain us, you make us laugh an cry, but you also make us think! And, if I may echo what everyone said last night, what a voice! Your song "By My Silence" deserves every prize and accolade it has received. It is a timeless theme that is, frighteningly enough, always contemporary."

Setlist

• By My Silence
•Long Long Journey
• They Lost My Vote,
• Daddy's Little Girl
• Day In Th Life
• Who Da' Pusher Now
• Margo's Song
• Wanna Dance
• Is It Hot in Here Or Is It Me?
• Hey, Mr Politician
• Gimme GImme
• Opposities Never Attract
• Tikkun Olam Repair The World
• Grow Up And Change The World
• The Wooden Box
• (humorous parodies)

Basic Requirements

Calendar