Juanita

JUANITA - Simple Charades: Canada is home to fine some fine artists including Ash Riot, Bif Naked, Britt Black and DOA leaving me very impressed over the past few years. Juanita maybe a new name to most but she carries on that fine tradition with her vibrant Rock/Pop tunes. Musically Juanita goes back to her roots in the 80's adding a modern approach to her songs which should win her both the young crowd and an older crowd who'll remember the 80's Pop/Rock scene. This album captures Juanita at her best with some good tunes such as 'Seen The Light', 'Always A Dream' and 'Fallen Angel' which would be chart hits if sung by the likes or Madonna or Britney Spears. While mainstream music really isn't my thing I like what Juanita is doing here and hopefully this album will take her new places. There's plenty of passion in her music and certainly deserves plenty of airplay. Here's keeping my fingers crossed that it happens for this cool lady. 8/10

February 2007, Street Voice UK Music Magazine
- Street Voice UK, London

Here’s What People are Saying:

“It’s such a pleasure to hear great song writing. Simple Charade is definitely a radio smash….along with Destination Nowhere and Goodbye. Any radio programmer will jump on this” Eddy Schreyer, Oasis Mastering, Burbank, CA (Christina Aguilera, Kanye West, Hootie & the Blowfish, Queen, etc.)


“I am very impressed with the intensity of the songs...they’re all gems. It's so refreshing to hear a female vocalist that kicks.... I know KISS-FM will be all over it.” Duane Grandbois, KISS-FM


“You have the drive and the sound of someone like Grace Slick…reminds me of some really good 80’s music...great” David Foster, Producer


Great grooves and memorable hooks….and all with so much soul!! Radio needs “Simple Charades” Dave Hayes aka Slagter, Engineer/Producer (Chilliwack, Headpins, Stampeders)


“WOW... I love the CD.......a grand achievement.... everything about it is spectacular...from the photo's and styling to the fab songs and the singing of them with great arrangements. My favourite is of course "always a dream", makes me cry....love "11th hour"/"seen the light"/"beautiful eyes"/ in fact there isn’t a bad track on the CD...I love it all. WELL DONE....it's a corker of a CD.” Mike Hewitson, personal assistant to Elton John


“The new songs are great The more I listen the more I like. you sound fantastic when you coming to bonnie Scotland. You would get a great reception from the best music fans in the world.” Idle Beggars Band, Scotland


“ Very much enjoying your CD and sharing your music with all my friends” Kathy, Ohio

“I can honestly say I do NOT go to many band profiles and check them out, and what made me go to yours, was that you are real.. I love that.. you arent sporting sexuality, and nudity, and your voice, is real. I ordered your cd, and I am listening to your songs on iTunes right now. I went to your site, and it is great…same thing, not full of sexuality. Great Stuff.. Inspiring.. Great Charity.” Amanda Lynn, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

“I read your news paper article today,"singing for autistic children" you are a wonderful woman for helping others, i will be purchasing your sounds of christmas CD. have a wonderful holiday. KissThis, Penticton, BC.

“I like the way you go from a little bit raspy to a smooth and soft vocal. I like your tunes” Al Herrera, Colorado


I listened to your voice and felt every word you sang so exquisitely! I enjoyed your music...” Melissa Miguel, London, England
- Prodigy

Like Cher, Madonna and Brazilian soccer players, Juanita prefers the simplicity of the singular name. At this stage in her music career, she also prefers to sing for the simple joy of giving.

The part-time Surreyite has recorded a CD of Christmas songs called The Gift, the proceeds of
which are being donated to the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau.

These are not the first benefit songs crafted by Juanita and fellow musician/studio owner Kelly Breaks. Their 2006 album, The Sounds of Christmas, helped kids with autism. Among other charitable efforts, they recorded a song to help those whose lives were shattered by the huge
Boxing Day tsunami of 2004.

This year, it’s the Christmas bureau’s turn. The goal of The Gift: to raise $25,000 for the
Vancouver-based organization.

Quite simply, Juanita and Breaks feel it’s time to give back in this way, after working as pro
musicians for a few decades. They’ve even come up with a mission statement: “We believe in
the power of music to inspire connection with the community and give back responsibly as we
receive.”

The musical union of Juanita and Breaks dates back to the 1970s, when they were in a band
called White Rock with ex-members of BTO and Trooper. Other bar bands followed, but Juanita
eventually gave up singing professionally to raise kids in the Okanagan. A couple of years ago,
when her children became teenagers, she ventured back into music as she’d always planned,
but this time with an altered frame of mind.

“We’re not kids anymore, let’s face it,” Juanita told the Now. “When you’re young and want to get into music, it’s all, ‘I’m gonna be a star!
I’m gonna make it!’ and then you realize how tough the business is. And the years go by and you still work to make it. But when I went back (to music), something happened. I realized my
aspirations had changed. Having been told that my age would be a factor here, I thought about not doing it again — but it’s just something I love. And the pressure is off now, and we’re just doing
it without worrying about fitting in the music machine anymore.”

The Gift was created over the summer at Breaks’ home studio in White Rock and, with help of file-sharing technology, Juanita’s primary abode in the Okanagan. The 14-track album’s mostly traditional seasonal fare — “Silver Bells,” “Little Drummer Boy,” “Let It Snow,” etc. — is played soft and reverential, as are the pair of
original songs. One of them, the title track, is, fittingly, about giving back.

“It’s about how we’re born with something,” Juanita explains, “like the ability to sew or being help to help little kids better than others. We all have something, a gift, but some people just haven’t found it yet. I think my gift is singing;
that’s my legacy.... It’s just something I can do to help out.”

The Gift is available for sale at Zellers stores, Art Knapp Plantland in South Surrey, via the
Christmas bureau (604-253-7191) and online at juanitamusic.net.

Juanita and Breaks have also confirmed a number of performance dates locally, including Dec. 12 (2-4 p.m.) at the Zellers store at Central
City (Surrey), Dec. 13 (2-4 p.m.) at Zellers in Langley, and Dec. 15 (2-4 p.m.) at the Art Knapp shop on King George Highway.
- The Now Newspaper

Bill Vander Zalm’s daughter rejuvenates music career
It didn’t take much prodding to get Juanita back to making music.
First of all, there was her love of the music itself. Secondly, she saw an opportunity to use her talent to aid charities, especially those that help children.
“When you’re young, all you want is to be famous,” said Juanita, daughter of former premier Bill Vander Zalm and owner of Art Knapp Plantland in Vernon. “You’re not thinking of what you’ve been given, how to use your gift to help others.
“When you get to a certain age, though, you realize there’s a lot more to life.”
Juanita, who goes by her first name only, got involved in a number of causes over the past few years. Her latest project is a 12-song Christmas CD, with all proceeds going to help children diagnosed with autism.
She also has a soft spot for children’s hospitals and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
“Kids deserve the chance to have a good life, a healthy life,” she added. “Children are innocent . . . and have done nothing to attract adversity.”
Juanita, in fact, was pretty innocent herself when she began singing professionally. At the age of 16, she went on the road to front 14 Karat, a rock band she toured and recorded with for the next eight years, singing lead vocals and playing keyboards. She stayed in the music business for some years after — at a time when her dad, a cabinet minister before becoming premier, was busy helping to run B.C.
Both parents supported her career choice, even at such a young age.
“I have a 17-year-old daughter now and I’m thinking, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe they let me go out on the road,’” said Juanita.
The fact that her parents knew the boys in the band — they were friends of Juanita’s older brother — made it easier for Bill and Lillian Vander Zalm to support their daughter’s life as a rock ’n’ roll musician.
“It was quite cute; the boys would take care of me because I was the only girl,” recalled Juanita.
Men on the hustle in some of the bars she played in weren’t given much of a chance, either.
“They (band members) wouldn’t allow me to go out with any of them,” she added, laughing. “They really took care of me well, and to this day I really appreciate that.”
Some of those early years were a struggle.
“As much as my parents supported me, I wanted to do this on my own,” said Juanita. “We didn’t make a lot of money — we only paid each other $50 a week.”
The rest of their earnings would go to band expenses, such as buying equipment.
“You do go through struggles, but it sure makes you appreciate things later on.”
Juanita moved to Vernon from Vancouver in the early ’90s, taking time off from the music business to raise her three young children. She continued to sing, using her vocal talents to demo songs for people and write jingles, all the while continuing to write songs. Not long after, she started up Art Knapp Plantland, turning it into the successful business it is today.
She is currently working on an album of all-original songs, with a release date scheduled for the first quarter of the New Year. Concerts and gigs to support the CD will follow.
The Christmas album, entitled Sounds of Christmas, is available at many Vernon retail outlets, including Potters Christmas Store and Glenda’s Christmas Cottage, as well as any Art Knapp location in B.C.
One of the most difficult parts about making the album was picking out the songs — there were so many she wanted to include.
“O Holy Night, that’s my personal favourite, so I had to do that one,” said Juanita. “And Silent Night, well, that’s my mom’s favourite, so of course, I had to sing that one, too.”
And then, as this Christmas season came, Juanita began hearing even more songs she thought should have been included on the album.
“And now I want to do another one,” she said.

Copyright ©Wednesday, December 13, 2006 All material contained herein is copyrighted by
The Okanagan Valley Group of Newspapers, a division of Continental Newspapers Canada Ltd.
All Rights Reserved.
- Kelowna Daily Courier

Vancouver, BC – Canadian recording artist, Juanita, was featured at Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundations’ annual Rockin’ For Research gala held at the Hyatt Regency hotel recently.

Juanita’s song “Band Together” was the featured theme for a video at the fundraising gala which raised over $800,000. for JDRF. The event also included performances from Jim Byrnes, Bill Henderson, Colin James and Paul Hyde.

The Rockin’ For Research gala has raised over $3.2 million since it was started by Loverboy guitarist Paul Dean, whose son Jake was diagnosed with diabetes.
- Prodigy

Even though "Over the Rainbow" doesn't really belong on it, this charity-driven collection of traditional favourites from White Rock songstress Juanita is hard to fault. We could probably do without the HAL 9000 like voice intoning new-age bromides here and there, but the rest is fine, and the two originals "Sounds of Christmas" and "The Gift" prove there's more to Juanita than just her voice.
> Adrian Mack
- Georgia Straight

Hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, one of the most beautiful places on the planet, Juanita is a pop pleasure. On Sounds of Christmas, her rich alto radiates texture and character on every note. Just looking at the artist's cover photo, you know Juanita has enough personality for 10 people, and that zest for life is demonstrated throughout the release. The music is upbeat pop/rock, and the artist's highly animated and emotive voice makes you want to savor every inflection. The album cover credits Juanita "and friends," and she indeed has some talented acquaintances providing fine instrumental and vocal support.

Singer/songwriter Juanita's original title track acts as bookends for the album, and Sounds of Christmas is a nicely-crafted, catchy number. The second track, Joy to the World bursts with charming instrumentation and Juanita's exuberance. The album provides great balance with two excellent guitar instrumentals (Christmas Song and Winter Wonderland). My favorite track is likely Juanita's jazzy percussive rendition of Silent Night; as the cool piece unfolds, the clapping and guitar licks convey a country vibe. The closing "Silent Night, Holy Night" bars provide a memorable finish.

After only 35 minutes, Sounds of Christmas ends with chestnuts still roasting on the fire. Still, it's a very sweet ride while it lasts!
- ChristmasReviews.com