Barbie Anaka
Seattle, Washington, United States | SELF
Music
Press
On Barbie Anaka with David Loy's release, Ballads Through the Night, one thing is certain-- this girl can sing!
To follow up her recent album of original jazz/ pop songs, In Love with a Memory, Barbie chose to focus on her vocal performance rather than her songwriting talents. These twelve cover tunes give the singer plenty of room to do what she does best. Along with
pianist David Loy and a few scattered players on several of the tracks, Barbie's voice expertly moves between sweet and smoky, tough and tender.
On "Sunny Skies" and "You Taught My Heart to Sing" the singer rolls low into the melodies. Her rich vocal tones shine with unwavering beauty as she carefully pushes out every syllable. And it is all captured on this disc. The recording is so clean that you really need a hi-fi stereo to catch every nuance of this diva's spectacular performance.
On her genre-crossing version of the Motels' new wave hit, "Take the L," Barbie gently tugs at the pop melody, twisting it into a hot jazz reincarnation. "On Broadway" also takes an unusual twist from its popular arrangement.
Barbie steals the show on cuts like "My Romance," "Cry Me a River," and “Love Me Still” by taking the listener to quiet, emotional places within the heart. But pianist David Loy makes some extra space for himself on "You Don't Know What Love Is." Although his delicate playing throughout this disc is near flawless, this time around he spins a brilliant, understated solo.
Other players also make brief appearances on several of the cuts. Nathan Paul slips in some saxophone on "Take the L" and "These Foolish Things," while bassist Douglas Barnett drops some low end into "Higher Ground."
Barbie Anaka with David Loy's Ballads Through the Night uses sparse instrumentation to showcase the singer's extraordinary vocal abilities. Whether recreating jazz standards or retrofitting new wave hits, Barbie Anaka makes sweet music that compares favorably to the hottest voices of today.
- indiemusicreview.com
On Barbie Anaka with David Loy's release, Ballads Through the Night, one thing is certain-- this girl can sing!
To follow up her recent album of original jazz/ pop songs, In Love with a Memory, Barbie chose to focus on her vocal performance rather than her songwriting talents. These twelve cover tunes give the singer plenty of room to do what she does best. Along with
pianist David Loy and a few scattered players on several of the tracks, Barbie's voice expertly moves between sweet and smoky, tough and tender.
On "Sunny Skies" and "You Taught My Heart to Sing" the singer rolls low into the melodies. Her rich vocal tones shine with unwavering beauty as she carefully pushes out every syllable. And it is all captured on this disc. The recording is so clean that you really need a hi-fi stereo to catch every nuance of this diva's spectacular performance.
On her genre-crossing version of the Motels' new wave hit, "Take the L," Barbie gently tugs at the pop melody, twisting it into a hot jazz reincarnation. "On Broadway" also takes an unusual twist from its popular arrangement.
Barbie steals the show on cuts like "My Romance," "Cry Me a River," and “Love Me Still” by taking the listener to quiet, emotional places within the heart. But pianist David Loy makes some extra space for himself on "You Don't Know What Love Is." Although his delicate playing throughout this disc is near flawless, this time around he spins a brilliant, understated solo.
Other players also make brief appearances on several of the cuts. Nathan Paul slips in some saxophone on "Take the L" and "These Foolish Things," while bassist Douglas Barnett drops some low end into "Higher Ground."
Barbie Anaka with David Loy's Ballads Through the Night uses sparse instrumentation to showcase the singer's extraordinary vocal abilities. Whether recreating jazz standards or retrofitting new wave hits, Barbie Anaka makes sweet music that compares favorably to the hottest voices of today.
- indiemusicreview.com
Seattle continues to be a hot bed of music these days. Not only do they still have a stronghold on the alternative/ Seattle sound but you will find a diverse sound as well. We recently received several CD releases from
singer/songwriter Barbie Anaka and were we ever impressed. This artist combines brains with beauty and has got some excellent
material that is very radio ready. On her “In Love With A Memory” CD album, Barbie has some strong singles. Our favorite is the cut “Humanity” (Green Light) that really fits what is going on today in the world. She also has a
CD of standards entitled, “Ballads Through The Night” that she recorded with David Loy. It includes some great tracks including “Higher Ground”, “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and “On Broadway’. We will keep you apprised on
the future of this emerging talent.
- New Music Weekly Magazine
Seattle continues to be a hot bed of music these days. Not only do they still have a stronghold on the alternative/ Seattle sound but you will find a diverse sound as well. We recently received several CD releases from
singer/songwriter Barbie Anaka and were we ever impressed. This artist combines brains with beauty and has got some excellent
material that is very radio ready. On her “In Love With A Memory” CD album, Barbie has some strong singles. Our favorite is the cut “Humanity” (Green Light) that really fits what is going on today in the world. She also has a
CD of standards entitled, “Ballads Through The Night” that she recorded with David Loy. It includes some great tracks including “Higher Ground”, “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and “On Broadway’. We will keep you apprised on
the future of this emerging talent.
- New Music Weekly Magazine
This is moonlight over a quiet ocean. A romantic dinner by candlelight. Barbie Anaka is a more angelic Streisand with a sultry, resonant, rich voice that turns old-fashioned classic jazz into living magic. There’s almost nothing else I can say about that voice – you
just have to hear it. But what adds an element of quirkiness to the CD is her choice of cover songs. “Take The L,” an 80s hit from the Motels, lends itself surprisingly well to smoky jazz. The saxophone and piano set the heartbroken mood beautifully. From there, I
skipped ahead to hear “On Broadway,” the track that turned out to be my favorite after I’d heard each blissful one. This version is done a crooning, melancholy, rainy-night streetlamp ballad, and it is reason enough to buy the CD.
Old school jazz fans will swoon for this. Romantics will dream to it. As a music lover who’s a little of both, I got goosebumps.
- Indie-Music.com
This is moonlight over a quiet ocean. A romantic dinner by candlelight. Barbie Anaka is a more angelic Streisand with a sultry, resonant, rich voice that turns old-fashioned classic jazz into living magic. There’s almost nothing else I can say about that voice – you
just have to hear it. But what adds an element of quirkiness to the CD is her choice of cover songs. “Take The L,” an 80s hit from the Motels, lends itself surprisingly well to smoky jazz. The saxophone and piano set the heartbroken mood beautifully. From there, I
skipped ahead to hear “On Broadway,” the track that turned out to be my favorite after I’d heard each blissful one. This version is done a crooning, melancholy, rainy-night streetlamp ballad, and it is reason enough to buy the CD.
Old school jazz fans will swoon for this. Romantics will dream to it. As a music lover who’s a little of both, I got goosebumps.
- Indie-Music.com
Barbie Anaka is a contemporary vocalist with a smooth-jazz flair. Her lyrics are pure New Age. The musicians gracing In Love With a Memory are excellent, and the arrangements sing with originality and gentle passion. Anaka's voice is pure and fresh, and her deeply caring heart clearly is at the root of her singing. The album is filled with songs of hope and healing, of the loneliness sometimes felt in spiritual seeking, and of the enormous joy available in connecting with the divine inside us. Anaka sings both lead and background vocals and also contributes piano and percussion. Guitars, bass, drums, percussion, synthesizers and programming complete the sound. My favorite song on In Love With a Memory is the first track, "Humanity", a song by Jay King and James Richard. A rousing paean to ending world poverty and famine by sharing the wealth, "Humanity" is a loving wake-up call to the planet. If you're interested in carrying contemporary songs with a New Age focus, be sure to give In Love With a Memory a thoughtful and heartfelt listen. - New Age Retailer Magazine
Barbie Anaka is a contemporary vocalist with a smooth-jazz flair. Her lyrics are pure New Age. The musicians gracing In Love With a Memory are excellent, and the arrangements sing with originality and gentle passion. Anaka's voice is pure and fresh, and her deeply caring heart clearly is at the root of her singing. The album is filled with songs of hope and healing, of the loneliness sometimes felt in spiritual seeking, and of the enormous joy available in connecting with the divine inside us. Anaka sings both lead and background vocals and also contributes piano and percussion. Guitars, bass, drums, percussion, synthesizers and programming complete the sound. My favorite song on In Love With a Memory is the first track, "Humanity", a song by Jay King and James Richard. A rousing paean to ending world poverty and famine by sharing the wealth, "Humanity" is a loving wake-up call to the planet. If you're interested in carrying contemporary songs with a New Age focus, be sure to give In Love With a Memory a thoughtful and heartfelt listen. - New Age Retailer Magazine
Next month I am doing an extensive review on female singers since Audiophiles seem to gravitate in that direction. In the process of reviewing artists I have come across a CD that I continue to play over and over.
I know some of you will feel that I am being biased since she is a Washington performer but give this disc a listen and you will be well rewarded.
The name of the CD is “ In Love with A Memory” by Barbie Anaka.
I like every song on this wonderful disc. Like all records there are some songs that I like better than others but I believe that you will find that there is not a single song that you will want to skip.
Another thing that I found impressive is that Barbie wrote 8 of the 10 songs on the record. It is common on a first release to at least do a few old standards but this recording is all brand new material.
No “Over the Rainbow,” “Fever,” “St James Infirmary” to be found here although I am sure that she could do some amazing versions of any of these songs.
I know that there are a lot of female artists that are very popular with the Audiophile community.
Patricia Barber
Norah Jones
Diana Krall
Cassandra Wilson
Sara K
Janis Ian
Jennifer Warnes
And everyone's favorite Eva Cassidy
I would add to that list Pia, Surabhi, Mary Black, Lorenna Mckennit, Lynn Miles, Lucy Kaplansky, Rosanne Cash, Emmy Lou Harris, Sade and Randy Crawford to name just a few.
I have mentioned some terrific female artists and I did that to make a point. The emphasize is that I like “In Love with a Memory” as much as most of the records by any of these artists and that is extremely high praise!
My favorite song on the record is called Words and the lyrics say, “words break you down and turn your life around” and my hope and goal is to get the word out on how good this disc and any other unknown artists I discover are and share them with you.
We spend so much on components and my goal is to find really good quality music to help all of you find the software to fulfill your Audiophile dreams.
In the last couple of years the most listened to artist in CES rooms have been Eva Cassidy, Patricia Barber and Diane Krall. I believe in the coming year it will be Nora Jones, Jennifer Warnes, and Barbie Anaka unless something new comes out in the next few months. All three of these artists have released records this year that are very impressive! - weekendenvironments.com
Next month I am doing an extensive review on female singers since Audiophiles seem to gravitate in that direction. In the process of reviewing artists I have come across a CD that I continue to play over and over.
I know some of you will feel that I am being biased since she is a Washington performer but give this disc a listen and you will be well rewarded.
The name of the CD is “ In Love with A Memory” by Barbie Anaka.
I like every song on this wonderful disc. Like all records there are some songs that I like better than others but I believe that you will find that there is not a single song that you will want to skip.
Another thing that I found impressive is that Barbie wrote 8 of the 10 songs on the record. It is common on a first release to at least do a few old standards but this recording is all brand new material.
No “Over the Rainbow,” “Fever,” “St James Infirmary” to be found here although I am sure that she could do some amazing versions of any of these songs.
I know that there are a lot of female artists that are very popular with the Audiophile community.
Patricia Barber
Norah Jones
Diana Krall
Cassandra Wilson
Sara K
Janis Ian
Jennifer Warnes
And everyone's favorite Eva Cassidy
I would add to that list Pia, Surabhi, Mary Black, Lorenna Mckennit, Lynn Miles, Lucy Kaplansky, Rosanne Cash, Emmy Lou Harris, Sade and Randy Crawford to name just a few.
I have mentioned some terrific female artists and I did that to make a point. The emphasize is that I like “In Love with a Memory” as much as most of the records by any of these artists and that is extremely high praise!
My favorite song on the record is called Words and the lyrics say, “words break you down and turn your life around” and my hope and goal is to get the word out on how good this disc and any other unknown artists I discover are and share them with you.
We spend so much on components and my goal is to find really good quality music to help all of you find the software to fulfill your Audiophile dreams.
In the last couple of years the most listened to artist in CES rooms have been Eva Cassidy, Patricia Barber and Diane Krall. I believe in the coming year it will be Nora Jones, Jennifer Warnes, and Barbie Anaka unless something new comes out in the next few months. All three of these artists have released records this year that are very impressive! - weekendenvironments.com
Discography
In Love With a Memory (album) - 2001 (vocalist/songwriter/producer)
Ballads Through the Night (album) - 2004 (vocalist/producer)
Mi Universo (album - Paulina Alvarado, artist) - 2005 (producer/backup vocals/songwriter)
I'm Being Sarcastic (album - Tory World, artist) - 2006 (backup vocals)
Photos
Bio
A clear, fresh voice… smooth jazz, some seductive soul, sophisticated songwriting, deep emotions and pure pop perfection…that’s the sound of Barbie Anaka, Northwest Contemporary Vocalist, Songwriter, Pianist, Producer and Music Educator. A mix of eclectic influences; artists like: Nancy Wilson, Dianne Reeves, Sade and Prince; her style blends meaningful lyrics, solid grooves and catchy melodies. Rave reviews at radio, television and print media say she’s one to watch in the national music scene. Seattle radio host Cedric James of KWJZ-FM, 98.9 “Smooth Jazz” states, “Barbie Anaka is a jazz vocalist well on her way to earning national recognition.” Los Angeles’ New Music Weekly magazine writes, “Were we ever impressed… this artist combines brains with beauty… and has excellent material that is very radio ready.”
Drawn to piano at age 5, Barbie taught herself to play and compose. It was natural to be gifted with talent; her great-grandfather (a musician, actor, magician and inventor) created and starred in the first traveling vaudeville show in Canada. He made records of himself and his family singing and playing musical instruments since the 1950’s.
In grade school, Barbie honed her performance skills by studying piano, voice, dance, acting and modeling. Musical proficiency and tenacity paid off; a producer recruited her for sessions as a back-up vocalist at age 15. Musicals, commercials and modeling followed. On to prestigious Cornish College of the Arts via a Merit scholarship, she obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Music (jazz voice). At 19, airplay of a jazz demo garnered the interest of well-respected industry veterans: bassist/composer John Clayton, Jr. (The Clayton Brothers, Natalie Cole, Diana Krall), hit songwriter/producer Jay King (of Club Nouveau/Timex Social Club fame), and jazz pianist Billy Wallace (Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRea). They became mentors, guiding the promising vocalist through ins and outs of music and the music business.
Post college brought session work, collaborations with other songwriters, the recording of several demo’s, and gigs with R & B and top-40 bands. Barbie sat in regularly at jazz jam sessions, eventually forming her own original group. She played concerts, festivals, restaurants and coffeehouses, developing material for the debut CD, In Love With a Memory. A sold-out show celebrating the disc’s release at world-renowned Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley placed the artist in demand, granting a live television performance on the morning news, press recognition, and a busy performance schedule. Weekendenvironments.com praised the recording, “I like every song on this wonderful disc… I believe you will find there is not a single song you will want to skip,” and New Age Retailer magazine said, “Anaka’s voice is pure and fresh…. the musicians are excellent and the arrangements sing with originality and gentle passion.” The title track (In Love With a Memory) fared well in an international songwriting competition, receiving Honorable Mention in the Billboard Song Contest. The lead track from the same CD, “Humanity”, won a slot on the “Future Hits” CD, volume 13, released to radio stations nationwide.
The follow-up to the first CD did not disappoint the growing audience enjoying Barbie’s music. Ballads Through the Night, recorded with pianist David Loy, returned the singer to her jazz roots; showcasing a pristine, mature tone, a culmination of experience and dedication to her craft. Indie-Music.com writes, “This is moonlight over a quiet ocean. A romantic dinner by candlelight. Barbie Anaka is a more angelic Streisand with a sultry, resonant, rich voice that turns old-fashioned, classic jazz into living magic.” Indiemusicreview.com praised the vocalist, “One thing is certain – this girl can sing! Her rich vocal tones shine with unwavering beauty as she carefully pushes out each syllable.” And weekendenvironments.com said, “You want sultry and seductive, powerful and inspiring, tender and romantic it is all here!”
Barbie Anaka & her group were most recently featured as house band (for two years straight), at Seattle’s only waterfront hotel - The Edgewater Hotel/67 Lounge, The Sea Sounds Concert Series, The Bite of Seattle, The Out-to-Lunch Concert Series, festivals, clubs and many private events. Though her performance schedule keeps her busy and traveling throughout the region, Barbie has produced several projects besides her own: Paulina Alvarado – Mi Universo (album - Latin based pop, Producer), Microsoft – Men in Black (one-off, Co-Producer), Jennifer Eriksen – The Star (single, Producer), Marina Jang – You are the Man (single, Producer), Nicole Rinne – Feliz Navidad (single, Producer).
Currently, Barbie is writing and in pre-production for her third CD,. She continues performing with her band at many top west coast venues, working as a session vocalist and producer, coaching new artists and teaching seminars about the Music Busi
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