Nadine Medawar
Montréal, Quebec, Canada | INDIE
Music
Press
France d'Amour, the award's spokesperson, announced Wednesday the nine finalists of the award's 5th edition, namely Chinatown, Marie-Pierre Arthur, Clément Jacques, Bernadette, Geneviève Jodoin, Bernard Adamus, Mad’Moizèle GIRAF, Nadine Medawar, and Polipe.
[...]
Nadine Medawar welcomes this opportunity with much joy, especially knowing that Quebec artists expressing their art in English generally benefit from little visibility. "These people met together and chose my record among many others. It is so encouraging. It pushes me to keep going".
With this award, Archambault aims at highlighting the excellence of Quebec's new musical talents. Nine artists or bands that are eligible to the award, meaning they must be at the release of their first record, distributed by a recognized distributor, and have released it between January 1st and December 31st of 2009, have therefore been nominated following the meetings held by the jury, which is composed of arts journalists, and members of the record industry.
7jours.canoe.ca
May 13th 2010 - 7 Jours (www.7jourscanoe.ca)
Montreal, Quebec--(Marketwire - May 12th 2010) - Nine new Quebec artists or bands are nominated to win the award. The winner, who will be announced in September 2010, will win one of the most prestigious awards in the industry [...] It is the award's spokesperson, France d'Amour, who announced the finalists' names during a press conference that reunited numerous industry professionals of Quebec's record industry [...] : Bernard Adamus / Brun; Marie-Pierre Arthur / Marie-Pierre Arthur; Bernadette / Bernadette; Chinatown / Cité d'or; Clement Jacques / Consumed and Guilty; Geneviève Jodoin / G; Mad'Moizèle Giraf / Peindre la GIRAF; Nadine Medawar / To Be Me; Polipe / Tropiques du cancer
- www.marketingwire.com
(...) The dance is set to The Velvet Underground’s “I’m Waiting For the Man,” performed by crystal-voiced Nadine Medawar. As she breathed, “He’s never early/ He’s always late/ First thing you learn is you always gotta wait,” the audience seemed to identify with the masochistic undertones often inherent in devotion. They applauded heavily at the close of this section..." - The Strand - By Zofia Bielski
Presented by Performing Arts Chicago, "Amelia" is a multimedia work for nine ferociously disciplined dancers, a trio of musicians (on cello, violin and piano), and a vocalist (the beautifully expressive Nadine Medawar). - Chicago Sun-Times - by Hedy Weiss, theatre critic
After having lent her voice to Amelia, a show by the dance company La La La Human Steps, the Leb-Montrealer Nadine Medawar offers to us To Be Me, a first opus, floating between dream and reality.
1. She is an antidote to ambient superficiality. Miles away from the pop singer in short skirts and frivolous ways, this 28-year old lady listens sensitively and with no reserve to the depths of her being. Her quest to meaning, lightened up by her piano highs, finds its way to us.
2. Her voice has already impressed the gurus. During an Amelia presentation, Lou Reed and David Bowie have been taken away by her warm and crystal-like timbre. If we detect certain accents of soul in her exile and traveling-infected voice, it is because she gives hers entirely.
3. Her trace on earth does not end at music only. In order to amplify her resonance, the artist founded hope Without Borders with her sister, a foundation that aids victims of domestic violence. (Live performance in Montreal on December 3rd; info: www.nadinemedawar.com)
Elle Québec - Décembre 2009 - ELLE Québec
"Nadine Medawar sings compositions by David Lang in an impressive way. The excellent sound formed by cello, violin and piano together make up for a sensitive neoclassical style."
Berlin, August 23rd 2003 - Haus der Berliner Festspiele
"(...) and the vocalista Nadine Medawar, that seems to draw in the air with [her] [live] voice, while [she] sings the letters that Lou Reed wrote for the work. 'I will be your mirror...', is one of the phrases that Nadine pronounces in the song, almost leitmotiv of Amelia."
November 15th, 2003, Los Angeles - Silvina Szperling, La Opinion digital
"Sure enough, we have closed our eyes and we have heard the beauty of the soul. This very compassionate artist has touched us with her youth, her sincerity and her maturity. Surely she will go places and she will see the culmination of the meaning of her journey…"
Phoenecia Newspaper, 24-Nov-2005
- Garo Salibian, Phoenecia Newspaper
"Vocalist Nadine Medawar's angelic rendition of the Velvet Underground's "I'll Be Your Mirror" enhances the sense of yearning. Accompanied by Njo Kong Kie on piano, Simon Claude on violin, and Alexandre Castonguay on cello, Medawar's singing drenches the theatre in melancholy. [...] With Medawar's lovely yet almost piercing voice, the music gives a rich emotional texture."
29-Jan-2004
- Gail Johnson, Straight.com
“Her songs always have these sensitive lyrics that she almost whispers so sweetly into the listener’s ear taking us into a rollercoaster of emotions, and
meanings so penetrating and touching.“
“With a dreamy melancholic voice
and personal playing and composing abilities, she consecrated her last two years for the preparation of the materials for her solo debut CD […]
The packed crowd in the intimate
studio theatre was very responsive
to her repertoire and appreciated the show with the promise of a launching event that will almost certainly kickstart what one would hope will be a prosperous artistic career […]“ - Phoenicia News, Garo Salibian, August 30, 2007
“Her crystal voice has intrigued
audiences from around the world
during the world tour of Amelia
by La La La Human Steps.
In the shadow, she especially
gave new light to the song I’m
Waiting for the Man from Velvet
Underground, rearranged by
David Lang. Last spring, this
Lebanese-Montrealer launched her
fi rst record, To Be Me. Is her timbre
this pure? Her melodies soothing?
Her texts truthful? This soul
supplement? Nadine Medawar
gave birth to a piece of art that
aims straight to the heart. Hats
off. To listen to Nadine, rendezvous
at www.chatelaine.com/
musique.“
Montreal, Canada, September 2008 - Chatelaine
“There is a sense of wander when I listen to the album, a floating side; we feel continuously in movement from one scene to the other. Bravo“
- Philippe Fehmiu, Plaisirs D'ete, CBC
"A lot of personal stuff in there..."
- Marc Montgomery, The link, CBC Intl - CBC Radio
Discography
2009: To be me
Debut CD - Nadine Medawar
Canada: Distribution Select, Musicor;
Lead Vocals: Amelia soundtrack - a film production of Amerimage, Spectra, Canada;
2 songs released on compilation disc "Symphonie de l'Espoir" - Distributions Select, Quebec, Canada;
1 song released on complitation disc "Emergenza Festival 2005"
Photos
Bio
Go to www.nadinemedawar.com or www.myspace.com/nadinemedawar.com for videos!
A natural image of serenity and sincerity... This young calm girl finds a way to penetrate us and, at times, even take us aback. Her art can be described as genuine and her expression as truthful. Whether it is her childhood that makes her write such inspirations or her lessons growing up that make her so alarmed, the result of her compositions is as touching.
Nadine’s lyrics relate to all souls willing to dig deep. Her first and independent record, which lasted 14 months to complete, “To be me”, is an honest portrait of this songwriter’s heart and life. Claimed as ‘an artist to discover’ by the CBC and ‘bowed’ for her artistic work by Chatelaine, Nadine’s national coverage is only beginning to flourish.
Known in the arts field for her contribution to the world tour of Amelia, by the side of Edouard Lock from the world-renowned dance troupe La La La Human Steps, Nadine toured as the voice for this creation. Her singing voice narrated the eccentric choreographies of Edouard Lock and interpreted a complex vocal score by David Lang, in some of the most selective venues in the world. She appeared in front of informed audiences throughout those 2 years, charming and intriguing all of them, while receiving kudos from inspiring artists, such as David Bowie and Lou Reed.
Today, under exclusive Canadian license with Archambault Musique, Nadine promotes her first solo record. The worst battle we can face is the one that we put up against ourselves, subtly says the title song (To be me). Despite that struggle, “being ourselves should be the simplest thing to achieve” claims Nadine as she introduces the only French song of the record (Libre). In these winding roads, fed with illusions, Nadine chooses to find herself, without pretention (Ordinary Way). How to see clearly and surrender to this truth (Dream Away), without having to seclude ourselves from the rest of humanity (Our Own World)? Because to love is our purpose to all (Wherever I Go), no matter what road we take in order to get there. For love never dies (Running Ahead). It brightens our souls and is the one and only truth (Inside of You), the voice that leads us in this path, here on earth. Yet, behind this deep reflection hides nostalgia and anger (Leave me Alone), and even at times a silent rebellion (So Much Hate). Nadine, however, does not drop down her arms when it comes to dealing with this powerless feeling that sometimes imprisons us in inaction.
All of these intense reflections do not take away from the serenity of this soul, which seems to have travelled across the ages, reincarnating into this young artist, overtaken by her faith for humanity.
Nadine was born in Byblos, Lebanon and started studying piano at a very young
age. She continued her classical music education in Montreal, where she moved with
her family at the age of nine. Her voice has been described as “angelic, soothing, and melancholic”, while her songs have been portrayed as “honest, sensitive, and penetrating”. Nadine’s timbre is pure and her music preserves subtle traces of her roots.
Nadine is now concentrating on promoting this first record. She is producing concerts throughout Canada and appearing in numerous national festivals, such as North by Northeast and New Music West. “To be me” is merely a stepping stone in the musical career of this evolving artist, who is already looking forward to creating her next work.
www.nadinemedawar.com
www.myspace.com/nadinemedawar
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