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All Music Guide - Mackenzie Wilson
Jazz contemporary vocalist Samantha Siva is a new millennium wonder,
culminating jazz crossover stylings within her urban soulful passion and
majestic instrumentals. Of British and Sri Lankan heritage, Siva defined
her love for the piano and influential direction of David Benoit, George
Michael, Seal, and Sting. She studied classical piano early on and at
seven years old earned a full-ride scholarship to the Chethams School of
Music. During her teens, she perfected her skills as a classical musician,
frolicking with the aesthetics of hip-hop, folk, rock roll, and world
music alongside her love for jazz and in turn, Siva found herself shifting
between musical genres; she played in a heavy metal band while living in
Australia. In 1992, Siva moved to New York City for another musical
pursuit and four years later her debut Rhythm of the Voices was released.
A second effort, Identity, was issued in early 2000.
JazzReview.com
"This is Samantha Siva's second album and is a delightful blend of
pop and jazz. The singer gained the assistance of David Benoit whose
elegant piano style enhances Samantha's great talent as a composer and
vocalist. The compositions are well written and the lyrics all draw
from Samantha's life experience and heartfelt impressions. A touch of
feminism is apparent on several songs, one of which, is the beautiful
"Living Alone". The vocalist and David Benoit play off each
other's ideas on "Lullaby". This is a CD that can be
enjoyed quietly in front of the fireplace on a cool evening or you may
even drag out at your next party. "Identity" is truly the best
of both worlds and will touch the hearts of both jazz and pop fans. I like
this British born singer's ideas and her awesome vocal talent. Recommended
listening for all."
JazzTimes - Hilarie Gray
As a keyboardist, songwriter and producer Samantha Siva frames her
Identity with gentle, memorable melodies and textured arrangements,
ranging from sultry Urban grooves, to artsy acoustics …
Jazziz - Jonathan Widran
Siva's search for identity ranges from a torchy, breathy multi-octave
heartbreak on "Lullaby" to the more hooky "I Can't
Stop" and dips perilously close to Sade territory on "Living
Alone"; Siva's production on this cut is interesting …. And as
appealing as Siva is as an Adult Contemporary vocal diva and occasional
scat artist on the medieval folk themed "Riding Horses," she
shows equal promise as a producer and multi-instrumentalist.
Yahoo.com - Alex Henderson
Samantha Siva showed a lot of creativity and a risk-taking spirit on her
debut album. Although the CD was recorded after she had moved from her
native England to New York, she brings a distinctly British sensibility to
her sleek, sometimes jazz-tinged RB/pop on this impressive effort.
She's unpredictable, and the singer/composer takes chances on originals
that range from the haunting "Whatever You Want," the sexy
"Angel," to the evocative title song.
TV and Multimedia
BET on JAZZ - Feature Performance / JazzCentral
CNN ShowBiz Today - Interview
Amazon.com - Multimedia Artist Audio Spotlight
GENIE ENTERTAINMENT.
Copyright © 2002
All Rights Reserved
Last Updated:07/27/02
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