Music
Press
“If you love soul and R&B, you’ll love Toronto’s NALA”
- Meg Wilcox, Host of CBC’s Bandwidth on 95.1 CBC Radio One, Ottawa - CBC's Bandwidth on 95.1 Radio One, Ottawa
"I’ve had the pleasure of working with and watching Nala develop and finding her niche singing jazz influenced funk and soul.
Nala is a pleasure to work with. In the studio she brings a creative and serious side but matches it with her infectious joy of working on her projects. She is very professional but also open to new ideas and skills, always willing to learn and better herself. I always looked forward to our studio sessions!
Live, Nala captures your attention the second she starts into a song. If you can’t get into the groove Nala and her band provide you might want to head to a walk-in-clinic! Nala is finally starting to receive the awards and accolades that she deserves. Nala combines hard work, balanced with fun and this shows in her recorded and live performances… I wouldn’t hesitate to work with Nala anytime…"
- Paul Beaulieu, Founder of The Canadian Music Scene, Ghost Rider Studios and 416 Records - Paul Beaulieu, Founder of The Canadian Music Scene, Ghost Rider Studios and 416 Records
"I had the opportunity to work with Nala for the May 2012 Oh So Beautiful™ production and her spirit and enthusiasm as a musician is infectious and entertaining. Her songs are tightly produced, well written, reminiscent of a purer time in music and the band elevates her sound to a level of excellence. Look out for Nala, she is driven and sure to leave her mark on the Toronto independent music scene."
- AHI (Founder, Producer and Voice of BLUEBLACKmusic™ and Oh So Beautiful™)
http://www.AHIBLUEBLACKmusic.com http://www.OhSoBeautiful.tk - BLUEBLACKmusic™ & Oh So Beautiful™
Nala's lead singer - Nala Burdyna - was awarded 'Female Vocalist of the Year' by Canada's Indie Music Superstation - ImageFM. - Direct Engagement Inc. / Entertainment / January 2011
"It is with great pleasure that I put forward this testimonial on behalf of NALA. Street Art Showcase invited NALA to perform live on stage at David Pecaut Square (Re: Toronto Metro Hall) during its inaugural street art festival produced in conjunction with the City of Toronto last fall. Their music not only complemented the live art demonstrations wonderfully but was very enthusiastically received by the audience. We received emails from a number of attendees including all the way from Chicago who praised NALA’s performance and asked to receive information on this band. Well done, thank-you and I hope you will be available to perform at the next Street Art Showcase event." - Stefan Lialias, Executive Director - Stefan Lialias - Executive Director
Nala, a Toronto Canada artist performed on ImageFM last weekend.
The performance was incredible!
Nala is no stranger to Canada's Indie Music Superstation. Appearing last year with rave reviews and positive comments, we decided to invite Nala back for The Platinum Entertainment Indie Music Showcase Concert Series. Our intuition was not wrong! Nala brought it and then some. With a band shuffle recently and the addition of Sebastian Buccioni on keys, the band is one hell of an acid jazz/fusion/RnB machine! The addition of keys and eliminating the guitar component of Nala has brought a whole new transparency and commerciality to the music. The staff and management at ImageFM would like to salute Toronto Canada's Nala for an incredible live telecast and also their commitment to Canadian Indie originality! - Mark Brewer & Kathy Brewer of ImageFM
November 18, 2008
"Nala Burdyna shows off a lovely voice..." - Inside Toronto Magazine - Inside Toronto Magazine / written by: Mark Andrew Lawrence
November 21, 2009
..."On the list of musicians in the upstairs lounge there were some inspiring Acoustic/ Folk sounds from Ariel Fitz, followed by R&B/ Jazz powerhouse vocalist & pianist Morgan Sandler. The evening did not end there, for a boost of energy the sounds of Alternative Up-Tempo R&B were heard from a 5 piece Toronto band NALA fronted by Nala Burdyna."
- Planet Exclusive/ Toronto Exclusive Magazine
November 16, 2009
"Rouge, the annual masquerade gala with a touch of red at One King West, was held on November 14th.
Rouge, a sell out event in aid of United Way Toronto’s Community Fund, packed the crowd of over 800 people on two levels of One King West.
A silent auction was held throughout the night offering a range of items to bid on, from spa treatments to golf excursions, courtesy of providers such as: Steam Whistle Brewery, Healthy Butcher, Unilever, Freshii, Toronto Life and Green Shag Boutique.
The evening hosted by Lainey (Lainey Gossip) included entertainment from DJs Dave LaMerde & Dougie Boom, Lindsay Ritter Productions, Steps Dance Studio, Christine Tavares Choreography, Culture Shock, Ariel Fitz, NALA, Parking Lot Reveries and Morgan Sadler." - The Compedium Daily - The Compedium Daily / written by: JJ Thompson
Discography
LoveChild EP (co-produced by: Orin Isaacs) - February 24th, 2013
NALA is a recipient of the FACTOR New Artist Demo Award & the Ontario Art Council Popular Music Grant
Photos
Bio
Dedication & love for art paired with some serious determination are the core reasons why Toronto’s own Recording Artist NALA is turning whispers into shouts and rumours into reality, NALA is without a doubt getting noticed on the Toronto independent music scene. With the help of emerging artists and industry veterans, NALA has molded a signature blend of RnB/NeoSoul & Hip-Hop, while at the heart of it all maintaining her refreshingly honest and sultry vocals.
“Singing is one of my few artistic outlets – it always allows me to express how and what I feel. And often times in my case it feels more natural than speaking”. – NALA
From the onset of the first note it is clear that NALA’s song resonates with the truths of personal experience. February 24th, 2013 marked the launch of her FACTOR supported debut EP; LoveChild, backed by a 5-piece band she played C’est What, to a sold out crowd and sold out of CD’s which not to mention she managed to individually design, press & package herself.
LoveChild embraces the many faces of Love and recalls its bountiful struggles and triumphs. Stories from the heart, told with the ease of someone who’s been there, failed once and tried harder. NALA’s debut 5-song EP was written with the help of her songwriting team: drummer/songwriter Dave Pake & keyboardist/songwriter Sebastian Buccioni. LoveChild was co-produced by the Juno Award winning Orin Isaacs (The Mike Bullard Show, Canadian Idol, Canada’s Got Talent).
“Getting the opportunity to work with Orin on something so close to my heart, was honestly, a dream come true. He’s totally down to earth, so relaxed and so encouraging…. It’s made the whole experience a ton of fun. Thanks to him we’ve all learned so much about songwriting, producing & recording in a pretty short amount of time.” reflects NALA.
Laying down a foundation of trunk rattling bass & beats, and convincingly marrying the albums many diverse influences, Isaacs reminds listeners that he’s still the man. Perhaps it is unexpected that NALA’s tender vocals should sit atop a groove so propelling. The secret to its success may also lie in the lush Rhodes Piano stylings of keyboardist Sebastian Buccioni, along with his handpicked selection of both vintage and modern synths. But then again, it might even have to do with the albums guitar collective, including Jarek Dabrowski & Dave Pake, delivering hauntingly memorable riffs on every track. Not one to be outdone, trumpeter Aurora Cowie also graces the album with sprinklings of her bebop-tinged melodies. While it is hard to say exactly how and why, all elements work in perfect harmony to both touch the soul and move the body.
In late 2012, NALA officially released her first single off of LoveChild; Tender Kisses, by entering it to CBC’s ‘Expand Your Bandwidth’ Contest. From amongst eighty entries and 44,000 collective fan votes Tender Kisses was revealed in the Top 10 and received air play on CBC’s Radio One - 91.5 Ottawa.
NALA recently paired up with Mark Zanin and Greg Winterton of Sandbox Empire Entertainment to create a truly unique performance video for the piece (Tender Kisses). NALA being the multitasking superwoman that she is naturally, the video was shot the week of the official CD launch party; scheduled for release on various digital streaming sites mid May 2013.
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