Music
Press
The indie-cabaret of Montreal chanteuse Amanda Mabro
"Mabro is possessed of a distinctive rich voice that hails from the goodtime lounges of the 1920s. It wraps around phrases with a self-assured expressiveness and natural vivacity that effortlessly conjures up visions from any of the jazz ages; the theatricality of the 20s, the glamour of the 50s, even the Manhattan Transfer-style jazz informed by the energy of rock songwriters in the 70s." - SEE Magazine (Edmonton, Alberta)
"Mabro's singing is indeed seductive, and along with the inescapable force of her Cabaret Band to cementing their signature sound, you might find yourself in love and grooving along." - Wavelength Toronto
"This broad appeal may have something to do with the unique mix of sounds the band creates." - Canmore Leader, Alberta
I felt as though I was in a sultry, smoke-filled German cabaret in the 1920s...the room was packed with jazz fans transfixed by the sexy, powerful voice of Mabro as she seemed to channel Julie London, Holly Cole and Lotte Lenya through her tiny frame...Backed by only piano and drums, the music was tight, the sound was full and the audience hollered its appreciation...Some even danced." Sept 2006, Sault Ste Marie, ON
More press available at www.amandamabro.com - Live Show Review
"A little Ella, a little Billie, a little Garland, and a 21st century beat. It's jazz for real people!" - Andy Frank, CIUT FM, Toronto
"Rigid jazz purists and Michael Buble fans may not approve...Mabro has molded a unique sound that's steeped in tradition and topped with modern texture and sass." - Chartattack Canada
"...Mabro and the Cabaret Band's music lives and breathes." - Montreal Mirror
"Elle nous fait cadeau de treize pieces bien senties qui respirent langueur et coquinnerie." - Hebdo Culture
"Her powerful, cabaret-balladeer voice and skat rhythms usher in a different kind of retro-chic" - Wet Label (Montreal)
"...these are round-bottomed, curvy jazz-ish songs with some balls to them...This is good, this is different, and you might like this." - HOUR (Montreal)
Discography
2006 - Superwoman in the Making
XXI-21 RECORDS / SRI Canada
Now playing regularly on CBC, Montreal's Couleurs Jazz 91.9 FM, and College/Community radio across Canada.
Photos
Bio
Biography
AMANDA MABRO
Quick overview of show history and festival highlights:
*Amanda Mabro has shared the stage with artists in every genre, here is a short list: Arcade Fire, Franz Ferdinand, Celine Dion, Elevator, Les Respectables, Jorane, and many many more.
She has also played in all sorts of venues: Montreal's Bell Center, NY's Rockwood music Hall and Bitter End, Toronto's C'est What and Revival, and many many more across Canada.
Festivals include NXNE, Montreal Festiblues, Pop Montreal, Fringe Festival, etc.
Full BIO:
After garnering numerous credits in film and television, and performing lead roles in musicals in Montreal, singer-songwriter Amanda Mabro was offered a full scholarship to AMDA in New York City. However, when she was awarded a FACTOR grant, she decided instead to remain in Montreal to record her first demo, which turned out to be a very wise decision.
In the 7 years that have followed, Amanda has wowed audiences at venues and festivals across Canada and the US, showcasing at several high-profile festivals including NXNE and Pop Montreal, even performing with world renowned singer Celine Dion at the Bell Centre in Montreal in front of an audience of 15,000 for an internationally televised event.
“Pop Cabaret Noir”
With the release of her critically acclaimed debut record "Superwoman In The Making", Montreal native Mabro took an astonishingly rich voice and, with producer-arranger Cozmos Quazer, crafted a sound that fuses the smooth and sultry vocal stylings of jazz legends and the mysterious, theatrical flare of German and French Cabaret. She avoids the "smooth jazz" trap and moves on to embody a fresh exuberance and intensity that jazz has seen too little of the past three decades. The album has put Mabro on the map on both college and major radio stations across Canada, and critics were quick to take note, with reviews like "Mabro and her band are the White Stripes of Cabaret" (Andy Frank, CIUT Radio) and “Mabro has molded a unique sound that's steeped in tradition and topped with modern texture and sass." (Chartattack Magazine).
Enthusiasm for her vocal prowess and ineffable presence continues to grow and expand throughout Canada and the US—and has been heightened following the success of the Annual WAWA Show—a multi-disciplinary festival promoting women in the arts created and produced in Montreal by Mabro since 2003. In fact, The WAWA Show has been met with such success and enthusiasm that 2007 will mark the first WAWA Toronto and WAWA New York shows.
An interesting side note: Amanda began her musical association with producer-co-writer Cozmos Quazar when she provided keys and vocals for “Cozmos Quazar & The Glass Genius”. That band opened for Franz Ferdinand, The Snitches, and the Elevator, and even had a fine opening act of its own: Arcade Fire.
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"Mabro's music live and breathes" MIRROR, Montreal
“Ms. Mabro's album may have a "contempo jazz tag," but for me, her throaty delivery sounds a lot more burlesque and cabaret than it does Norah Jones. …This is good, this is different.” HOUR, Montreal
“There's jazz, and then there's the unique sound found on Amanda Mabro's debut album.” SceneandHeard.ca
“Amanda Mabro's strong jazzy voice creates a whole pop-cabaret, almost carnivalesque experience.” LIVE review, Concordia University Paper, Montreal
"Prenez place, tendez l'oreille et laissez vous transporter dans l'univers d'Amanda Mabro..." Canada Français
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