While in Paris recently, Three Room Press staffers were floored by the exquisitely beautfiul 5-octave voice of ethereal singer/guitarist Annie Darmon. And, in this age of irony and cynicism, it is unbelievably refreshing to experience something so heartfelt and soulful as Ms. Darmon's performance.If you've ever heard the voice of Yma Sumac--the mysterious "Inca princess" whose 1954 disc "Mambo" still enthralls--you'll have some idea of the range and style of Ms. Darmon's voice. Her treatment of traditional Ladino songs, from "Adio querida" to "Avre tu puerta" is spine tingling. But when she cuts loose in Yiddish on "Elimelekh" and--like a wild woman--slides her voice madly up a 4-octave glissando, you wonder: Why has France been keeping this woman a secret? Her only U.S. performances to date have been in Phoenix (!!) and at two private parties in Los Angeles (one of which was attended by Bill Clinton's brother). The mystery is why she has never performed for the people of New York City, who would definitely greet her with open arms on her arrival, and give her the key to the city if they ever let her leave. Recently, Ms. Darmon set up a myspace site (www.myspace.com/anniedarmon) which features 4 songs from her CD Aux Sources Du Kaddish [Ravel] II, which is not yet available in the U.S. Take a listen, and let us know what you think.
My brother says all New Yorkers exaggerate, but in the case of Annie Darmon, no one--not even a New Yorker--can say enough about her talent. We're hoping to help her get some dates in New York for early 2008. If you know of any venues that would be interested in making a name for themselves as the site of the NYC premiere performance of Annie Darmon, please send a comment immediately! She's absolutely wonderful.
No comments:
Post a Comment