Music
Press
From the presentation of the album ' Sunrise'
Unique in sound as is the talent that created it, 'Sunrise' reveals a shining new artist on the international stage with an appropriately intriguing name, Nair.
Named from an Egyptian word meaning 'glow,' Nair, who is Italian, glistens indeed in her album debut, which brings together the diverse musical influences of her upbringing and provides a fitting framework for displaying the remarkable end result.
The daughter of an opera singer from Egypt, Nair might well have followed her father and brothers into law (she graduated law school with honours and had begun training in the family solicitor's office) had she not abruptly changed course to pursue her natural artistic instinct. Rapid development of her vocal gifts--and piano mastery climaxed in December, 2000, when her career commenced with a Peace Jubilee performance at the Vatican before Pope John Paul II and a crowd of 10,000. That event drew numerous political and cultural luminaries and prominent press coverage: Nair was hailed as the next Barbara Streisand, and in short order was asked to sing on an album by Belgian artist Chris Van Tongelen and invited to perform at Lourdes, the historic spiritual center in Southern France. Performing regularly with top Italian symphony orchestras, Nair has since sung before 50,000 attendees of the international peace conference for young people in Turin. But she has also chosen the music and the producers for her debut album, which showcases six of Nair's own compositions--including the album's title track.
'Sunrise' majestically opens the album by making full use of Nair's spectacular four-octave range while representing a compositional style that blends her sensual lyricism with early 18th Century Venetian melodicism. The track is one of three produced and arranged by Italy's Fio Zanotti, who is known for his work with the British pop stars Joe Cocker and Tom Jones as well as such major European artists as Zucchero and Adriano Celentano; it is further marked by Nair's seemingly effortless vocal control and discipline, along with her facility with English.
Another original, the seductive 'Ti Conquisteró' was produced and arranged by the renowned Leonardo Rosi, who wrote Zucchero's hit 'You Make Me Feel Loved.' It bears Nair's Mediterranean/Arabic music flavourings, and is followed by 'Pie Jesu' from Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Requiem'. Nair's duet with emerging Italian artist Nicola Costanti is the first of four songs on the album by Webber, all of which were produced and arranged by Charles Burgi, who produced a total of seven cuts on 'Sunrise' and whose extensive experience in arranging pop music for symphony orchestras particularly commended him for the project.
'Maria La O' which was also produced by Rosi, is an exquisite reading of a 1928 song by Ernesto Lecuona, considered the George Gershwin of Cuba and the composer of the classic 'Malaguena'. Nair then turns to the celebrated silent film composer Albert Ketelbey for the lushly romantic 'Take My Heart' from 'In a Persian Market'.
'Shine On Now -You Are a Star' is another English language Nair original, and again exhibits Nair's shimmering bel canto and command of vocal dynamics. But the track also demonstrates Nair's flair for a sparkling piano-based arrangement that lights up a veritable sonic firmament fitting for her lyric. It seamlessly flows into a version of 'Memory' that gives new luster to the timeless Andrew Lloyd Webber classic from 'Cats'. Likewise, Nair's impassioned love tribute 'My Man', which wraps her subtly controlled soprano in a lushly romantic arrangement, precedes Webber's poignant 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina' from 'Evita'.
But in the melodic Italian pop of 'L'Uomo Migliore' Nair shows her own compositional skill in constructing a dramatic piece of music that builds in intensity as she ascends the scale, ending with a reprised chorus an octave higher than its immediate precedent. She then takes on the legendary French chanteuse Edith Piaf on her signature song 'La Vie En
Rose' and like the Webber standards, makes it her own.
'Phantom of the Opera'' s 'Think of Me' effectively concludes Nair's tour of the Webber catalog with an operatic vocal flourish. But she chooses to close her debut album the way she began, with an ethereal original. On the love ballad 'Sai Di Vita' however, Nair has produced herself, limiting accompaniment to her own evocative piano in a manner reminiscent of Kate Bush, her voice soaring away, high and bright as the sunrise of the album's title.
It's the perfect conclusion to a debut album that evokes other great pop and pop-classical female vocalists like Celine Dion and Sarah Brightman, but establishes herself in her own special musical genre. - Jim Bessman
Discography
Single - "SHINE ON NOW - YOU ARE A STAR"
Single - "MY MAN/L'UOMO CHE VERRÀ - REMIX"
Album - "SUNRISE"
Photos
Bio
NAIR was born in Italy, in the Venetian area. From her Egyptian mother she adopted the name.
Graduated in law, after a timid start on a legal career three years ago she decided to give up the notarial career to devote herself to the music availing herself of the attainments through the study of piano (Conservatory diploma), of singing (4 octave vocal range!) and of choreography.
NAIR plays, writes music and lyric, sings in various languages...
NAIR project began five years ago in Benelux when she was invited to perform, in duet the song PIE JESU by A.L.Webber. Then started the production of her first album entitled SUNRISE conceived by three different producers, but homogeneous, where the unpublished songs together with the covers crown the work of a great artist, interpreter and pop singer.
This first album was released by JVC Victor in Japan and subsequently in other Asian territories. The album was also reviewed, as an exception, by Jim Bessman, BILLBOARD U.S.A. Music Publishing Editor.
Following to the release of the promo-single SHINE ON NOW YOU ARE A STAR also synchronized by a commercial TV campaign, the album SUNRISE was being released in Italy as a European preview.
NAIRs live debut took place as solo vocalist by the Filarmonia Veneta Symphony Orchestra, with whom she appeared in various concerts entitled Around the musical an excursus in the musical from its origins (Gershwin) until today (Webber, Cocciante). The same program was followed by other Orchestras with whom NAIR still performs in Italy and abroad: Haydn Symphony Orchestra of Bolzano and Trento, Symphony Orchestra of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italian Filarmonia Orchestra, Noord Nederland Orkested, Marchigian Filarmonic Orchestra, Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra, .....
NAIR performed four times at the Vatican in the presence of former Pope John Paul II and recently for Pope Benedetto XVI, during the Peace Jubilee (the only artist invited), the 31 of January 2004 at the meeting for the preview of the Musical Opera dedicated to John Paul II, the 24 of December 2004 for the Christmas Concert in Vatican and the 6th of April 2006 to celebrate the death anniversary of Pope John Paul II.
NAIR also sang at Lourdes(France) and at Fatima(Portugal) in front of thousand of pilgrims and sick people. She performed at the I° Mondiale dei giovani per la pace (1st youth world-wide for peace) in front of an audience of 100000 people.
In May 2004 she was invited in Brazil as representative of the mediterranean European culture and she performed in Brasilia in the palace of the President Lula in front of him.
In the summer 2004 NAIR performed in places of historical importance such as Arena of Verona, the Romanic theatre, Macerata Sferisterio, and many others...
NAIR was special guest in many important Italian and European TV programs.
Links
