Senayit
Orford, New Hampshire, United States | SELF
Music
Press
From the White Mountains of New Hampshire emerges singer/songwriter Senayit, an artist capable of guiding her listeners on an intimate journey by awakening a tribal and grounding energy. She celebrated the release of her latest album, Of Body, with a spectacular concert and live feed on StageIt.com.
Written after her father's death, and recorded live in Olympia, Washington with Carl Dexter at DreamKitchen Studios, Of Body showcases Senayit's melting pot of musical influences.
The album was named Of Body because of its sensuous and sometimes daring construct. It features the work of Michael Ramirez on bass and Isaac Luxon on percussion.
Senayit draws upon her breadth of life experience, from living on boats in the Puget Sound and her travels by land and sea through this country and beyond, to her horse farm in the mountains of New Hampshire, and combines these adventures with a deep and broad view of the emotional, mental, and spiritual journeys that are familiar to all, regardless of circumstance. This depth and empathetic communication pushes her music far away from the norm and into a defining space all her own. Her dynamic range, vocal expression and poetic style weave an eclectic, even wild thread of sound throughout her honest and accessible lyrics. - Examiner
Senayit Tomlinson, leader of New England trio Senayit, begins her seventh record with feisty intensity. Opener "I Want You" finds her treading the well-worn folk-rock path of female rockers like Melissa Etheridge, but as the album progresses, songs begin to reveal Tomlinson's true soulful spirit. The range in which her voice is finest has little to do with its technical scope and more to do with such intangible qualities as being poignant, unguarded and intimate. Senayit excels on quiet, plaintive ballads and with the backing of Michael Ramirez (bass) and Isaac Luxon (drums and percussion), Of Body also delivers on its groovier tracks. Tomlinson cites her Ethiopian heritage and studies of gamelan music from Indonesia as sources of inspiration, and though some tracks hint at such international flavour, Senayit only flirts with eclectic experimentation, choosing to play it safe instead.
(Independent) - X-claim
SENAYIT, “Of Body” (self-released)
???1/2 — As the central figure behind the indie rock trio that bears her name, Senayit Tomlinson’s fingerprints are all over the rock-solid “Of Body.” There’s a raw aspect to the self-released platter that works well with Tomlinson’s blues- tinged vocals and the rough-around-
the-edges stick work of percussionist Isaac Luxon.
“I Want You” sets the tone for the eight-track release
and Senayit soar on personal favorite “Holy,” “Beautiful People,” “Heaven,” the sprawling “Everything I Have” and “Jodie.” Some might prefer a little more polish from the three-piece — and such an argument can be made
— but I like this band just the way they are. (JS) - In Tune
Senayit Tomlinson, leader of New England trio Senayit, begins her seventh record with feisty intensity. Opener "I Want You" finds her treading the well-worn folk-rock path of female rockers like Melissa Etheridge, but as the album progresses, songs begin to reveal Tomlinson's true soulful spirit. The range in which her voice is finest has little to do with its technical scope and more to do with such intangible qualities as being poignant, unguarded and intimate. Senayit excels on quiet, plaintive ballads and with the backing of Michael Ramirez (bass) and Isaac Luxon (drums and percussion), Of Body also delivers on its groovier tracks. Tomlinson cites her Ethiopian heritage and studies of gamelan music from Indonesia as sources of inspiration, and though some tracks hint at such international flavour, Senayit only flirts with eclectic experimentation, choosing to play it safe instead.
(Independent) - Folk and Country Reviews
Article interview about Senayit before fall tour 2011 begins. - Journal Opinion
Track Listing: I Want You, Holy, Faithfully, Beautiful People, Heaven, Everything I Have, Won't Let Me Go, Jodie
Rating: 4 stars!
Soulful singing, well recorded & a mix of reggae, roots & traditional, this cd is a mellow listen that's both inspirational & sounds good. The style of music is outside the range for what we usually cover but I felt like this record did deserve a mention. - Rock N Roll Experience
Discography
(Self Titled)
Senayit
Secrets
Whiskey
Waters of Life
Comfort & Loss
In the Dark
Photos
Bio
From the White Mountains of New Hampshire emerges singer/songwriter Senayit, an artist capable of guiding her listeners on an intimate journey by awakening a tribal and grounding energy.
Senayit was born to create a distinctive and far-reaching life and sound, a woman of Ethiopian heritage, she was raised in New York City and grew up on 80s pop, as well as traditional Ethiopian, Chinese, Indian and Haitian music by way of her multi-cultural family. She later studied in Indonesian gamelan music during college.
A prolific writer and songstress, she has independently released six albums since 1998, the seventh, "Of Body", recorded live with her band, will be released in February 2012. She draws upon her breadth of life experience, from living on boats in the Puget Sound, her travels by land and sea through this country and beyond, to her horse farm in the mountains of New Hampshire, and combines these adventures with a deep and broad view of the emotional, mental, and spiritual journeys that are familiar to all, regardless of circumstance. This depth and empathetic communication pushes her music far away from the norm and into a defining space all her own. Her dynamic range, vocal expression and poetic style weave an eclectic, even wild thread of sound throughout her honest and accessible lyrics.
"I believe that the sharing of music, both by playing and by listening, is a sacred act of giving and receiving on both sides," says Senayit. "Many artists feel they have a gift to give and they bring it to a passive listener. We believe the listener is as much a part of this journey and as important as the creation and performance of the music. This is a balance to be aware of, we need to recognize the gifts our listeners bring us."
Senayit envelopes you to the point of a visceral, physical connection. It is music for your soul and something that is happening to you, around you, and never quite leaves you.
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