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Griffiths’ choice to record such a variety of musical styles
comes honestly, since the Montreal-born performer grew up
listening to her brother’s Beatles’ records and hearing
her mother sing Shirley Temple songs. Her personal
life has also been quite varied – she’s travelled extensively,
cycled across this vast nation, played competitive water polo
in almost every pool in Canada, and even lived in the Yukon.
"This record defies categorization," adds Griffiths. "It
challenges my audiences to hear different styles of music
that they would not normally hear, which makes for a far more
interesting live performance. Each song is a snapshot from
different moments in my life that evokes specific memories.
It’s also great toe-tapping cocktail music, which is fun for
my band and the audience."
Griffiths has performed at Vancouver's prestigious Orpheum
Theatre, Ottawa's popular Women's Voices Festival,
the Vancouver Sacred Music Festival, plus shared stages
with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Vancouver
Women's Chorus. Her vocal and spoken word improvisation
performances at art gallery openings, cabarets and national
festivals as well as regular house gigs at some local trendy
restaurant/lounges facilitated the songbird's exposure to
diverse audiences.
As a founding member of the spectacular lounge act The
Lavender Martinis (originally Candy), Griffiths
honed her dynamic performing skills - while trying to overcome
paralysing stage fright - by taking acting lessons. Conquering
this fear gave Griffiths a newfound confidence in her voice
- a confidence that led to the production of her debut CD,
Powerful Baby, her sizzling collection of originals
and standards, drawing from jazz, blues, musical theatre and
Latin influences, and delivered in Griffiths' playfully seductive
vocal style.
With Picture This…, Griffiths wanted to experiment
again with different genres. "My producer Tony Chamberlist
and I coined the phrase 'Fuzz' blending the words fun fused
jazz. Tony said he could hear me smiling as I sing. Each of
these songs tells a story, which I think everyone can relate
to their own life experiences, and some of the songs are just
plain wacky, like the theme to "Spiderman". I loved the show
when I was a kid and would sing the theme at the top of my
lungs."
Griffiths kicked-off 2004 in Europe as a featured guest performer
at Schouwburg Amphion's Jazz Night in Doetinchem, Netherlands,
and played at Doetinchem's cultural dinner café Borghuis
with renowned jazz pianist Karel Giltay.
Martina Griffiths plans to tour Picture This…
in Canada and Europe after her hometown CD release party at
Gastown's trendy ONE Lounge on November 25, 2004.
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