Leni Stern is confirmed to open for the legendary Salif Keita, June 24th at BB KING's
Show time is 8pm, and doors open at 6pm.
Leni Stern continues to generate career-defining coverage for her acclaimed CD, 'Africa', which was recorded at Keita's Bamako Studios in Mali. Stern received a double-review (for 'Africa' and her 'Alu Maye' EP) in the current issue of No Depression, and will soon be featured in the Annual Women's Issue of Jazziz Magazine. 'Africa' has been praised as one of the best CDs of the past year, in any genre. Stern recorded the album over a two-year span, working with African musicians, in Africa, at the pace of African life.
About Salif Keita (text from BB KING website): Salif Keita is an internationally recognized afro-pop singer-songwriter from Mali. He is unique not only because of his reputation as the Golden Voice of Africa, but because he is an albino and a direct descendant of the founder of the Mali Empire, Sundiata Keita.This royal heritage meant that he should never have become a singer, which was deemed to be a griot's role. His music combines traditional West African music styles with influences from both Europe and the Americas, while maintaining an overall Islamic style. Musical instruments that are commonly featured in Keita's work include balafons, djembes, guitars, koras, organs, saxophones, and synthesizers.
THE WASHINGTON POST: “Leni Stern Crafts a Cross-Cultural Prayer Meeting on the Soulful 'Africa'"
“Shimmering Guitar Work and an Indigenous Brew of Vocal Harmonies"; Lyrics Address “Sociopolitical Nightmares"
DOWNBEAT: “Stern Also Laces 'Africa' with Sadness...in its Ability to Capture the Enormity of Africa's Plight"
Stern is Invited to perform at Eastwind Festival in New Delhi, India
Leni Stern continues to garner career-defining national and regional praise for her CD 'Africa'. Last week, Mike Joyce of The Washington Post praised the album as “a cross- cultural prayer meeting of sorts..." “...deeply soulful, a quality underscored by Malian vocalist Ami Sacko, whose robust contralto stands in sharp contrast to Stern's plaintive soprano, and by lyrics addressing sociopolitical nightmares -- the pleading “Childsoldier," for example -- and personal loss."
DOWNBEAT Magazine, in a CD review by Ken Micallef, commented: “Stern has brought a sense of seeking and solace to her music. 'Africa' is the culmination of those desires." “The integration between Stern's music and the Mali musicians' mastery is nearly seamless."
'Africa' has been hailed for its authenticity and for Stern's decision to record the album in Africa, with African musicians, at the pace of African life. Two years in the making, the CD integrates African and Western music forms with such distinction that it has come to be regarded as a sort of 'Audio Documentary' of African musical life.
Last week, Stern was honored to have been invited to perform at the Eastwind Festival in New Delhi, India. In late March, 'Africa' will be released in Europe. While on tour in the U.S., Stern has strived to convey much of the spirit of the 'Africa' CD, and continues to add concert dates to her schedule: Five new shows have been confirmed for New York City; a return to upstate NY's Night Eagle Caf is set for March; a return to D.C. is confirmed for April, and a West Coast Tour is in the works for May '08, and will include two nights in Los Angeles.
Leni Stern is an artist who defies categorization...one who is constantly adding layers to her diverse repertoire. With 'Africa', it appears that the stars have aligned, and have rewarded her with the most critically acclaimed album of her fascinating career.
THE WASHINGTON POST LENI STERN “Africa" Friday, February 15, 2008 BY MIKE JOYCE
A SPIRITUAL CURRENT always powers Leni Stern's recordings, especially on “Africa," an album inspired by her immersion in Malian and Senegalese culture. Clearly the German- born, New York-based singer-songwriter-guitarist has found another home. Recorded mostly at singer Salif Keita's studio in Bamako, Mali, “Africa" is a cross-cultural prayer meeting of sorts. The album has its share of purely insinuating charms; Stern's shimmering guitar work and an indigenous brew of vocal harmonies, blues bends and percolating beats see to that. But she isn't merely interested in having listeners succumb to the polyrhythmic weaves that distinguish “Alu Maye (Have You Seen)" and other tracks. Much of the music is deeply soulful, a quality underscored by Malian vocalist Ami Sacko, whose robust contralto stands in sharp contrast to Stern's plaintive soprano, and by lyrics addressing sociopolitical nightmares -- the pleading “Childsoldier," for example -- and personal loss. The late saxophonist Michael Brecker, who appears on “Africa," inspires the elegiac ballad “1000 Stars," while the haunting “Saya (Farewell)" is dedicated to percussionist Don Alias, who died in 2006. Because Stern doesn't collaborate with Sacko and fellow West Africans so much as commune with them, she never sounds out of her element, even when her pop and jazz sensibilities are most apparent. THE WASHINGTON POST, BY MIKE JOYCE, 2/15/08
DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE, 1/08 3 STAR CD REVIEW, BY KEN MICALLEF
Leni Stern has had a remarkable journey. Known for years as a talented guitarist who held down a weekly gig at New York's 55 Bar, Stern today is as different from that persona as night and day...Stern has shed multiple skins while taking her music - and her guitar playing - to new, daunting heights. A cancer survivor, Stern has always brought a sense of seeking and solace to her music. Africa is the culmination of those desires. She recorded the album in Mali with a stellar cast of local musicians. It is life affirming and questioning, an accomplished amalgam of native musicians performing African rhythms and tableaus, Stern's vocals and evocative guitar. The integration between Stern's music and the Mali musicians' mastery is nearly seamless. Stern is accompanied on vocals by Ami Sacko, Yagar Damba, Mah Soumano and Dally Kouyate, who bring serenity to the music. Stern also laces Africa with sadness, not only from the tributes to Michael Brecker and Don Alias, but in its ability to capture the enormity of Africa's plight. Throughout it all, Stern fingerpicks gorgeous, subtle guitar solos that blur the lines between blues, jazz and African sounds. DOWNBEAT Magazine, 1/08, by Ken Micallef
Without the support of a major label, Leni Stern has worked for years to keep her releases frequent, of the highest quality, and well noticed. With 'Africa', she has seen major media outlets weigh in with significant coverage -- from The Los Angeles Times to AllMusic, from CNN Radio to Guitar Player, from Downbeat to All About Jazz -- Stern is being recognized for both the content of her new CD as well as for the achievement of getting it done.
AllMusic: “One of the finest offering of 2007 in any genre." “It's a stirring mix in which Leni Stern's crisp, bell-toned electric guitar runs and the sharp horns and melodious keyboards integrate fluidly with talking drums, n'gonis, and ouds, and Stern's impassioned vocals receive a dynamic boost from the battery of Malian vocalists giving voice to her words in their native language. Africa, to its great credit, has absorbed not only the sounds but the feel of native African music. It's a stunning, respectful tribute to Mali's artistry, and to Stern's diligence in making it happen."
The Los Angeles Times: “A work of variety and complexity."
NY TIMES: “A Guitarist and Vocalist with an Ethereal Sensibility"
The Boston Globe: “Leni Stern redefines what it means to be a wide-ranging musician..."
The Boston Herald: “Stern works mightily to integrate her instrument and voice into the ensemble pieces she's written with African collaborators, producing a work of unity, subtlety and African-ness."
Boston Phoenix: “LENI STERN has become a restless, imaginative singer-songwriter who last year on Africa (on her own label) dug deep into the music of Mali."
Philadelphia Inquirer: “Stern creates a memorable amalgam that both celebrates West African music and extends it. The session exudes a sweet vibe and represents its own genre. Easy categorization cannot grasp the many strands of African and Western elements at play here."
All About Jazz: “Africa marks a significant new chapter in a career marked by bold changes. Her fearlessness as an independent traveler, and her endless curiosity about the workings of the world which surrounds her, are reflected in her music. Her lyrics are tender, poetic and, above all, truthful. As a singer, she has variously been described as a combination of Marlene Dietrich with the phrasing of Billie Holiday, and as a cross between Joni Mitchell and Rickie Lee Jones."
Show time is 8pm, and doors open at 6pm.
Leni Stern continues to generate career-defining coverage for her acclaimed CD, 'Africa', which was recorded at Keita's Bamako Studios in Mali. Stern received a double-review (for 'Africa' and her 'Alu Maye' EP) in the current issue of No Depression, and will soon be featured in the Annual Women's Issue of Jazziz Magazine. 'Africa' has been praised as one of the best CDs of the past year, in any genre. Stern recorded the album over a two-year span, working with African musicians, in Africa, at the pace of African life.
About Salif Keita (text from BB KING website): Salif Keita is an internationally recognized afro-pop singer-songwriter from Mali. He is unique not only because of his reputation as the Golden Voice of Africa, but because he is an albino and a direct descendant of the founder of the Mali Empire, Sundiata Keita.This royal heritage meant that he should never have become a singer, which was deemed to be a griot's role. His music combines traditional West African music styles with influences from both Europe and the Americas, while maintaining an overall Islamic style. Musical instruments that are commonly featured in Keita's work include balafons, djembes, guitars, koras, organs, saxophones, and synthesizers.
THE WASHINGTON POST: “Leni Stern Crafts a Cross-Cultural Prayer Meeting on the Soulful 'Africa'"
“Shimmering Guitar Work and an Indigenous Brew of Vocal Harmonies"; Lyrics Address “Sociopolitical Nightmares"
DOWNBEAT: “Stern Also Laces 'Africa' with Sadness...in its Ability to Capture the Enormity of Africa's Plight"
Stern is Invited to perform at Eastwind Festival in New Delhi, India
Leni Stern continues to garner career-defining national and regional praise for her CD 'Africa'. Last week, Mike Joyce of The Washington Post praised the album as “a cross- cultural prayer meeting of sorts..." “...deeply soulful, a quality underscored by Malian vocalist Ami Sacko, whose robust contralto stands in sharp contrast to Stern's plaintive soprano, and by lyrics addressing sociopolitical nightmares -- the pleading “Childsoldier," for example -- and personal loss."
DOWNBEAT Magazine, in a CD review by Ken Micallef, commented: “Stern has brought a sense of seeking and solace to her music. 'Africa' is the culmination of those desires." “The integration between Stern's music and the Mali musicians' mastery is nearly seamless."
'Africa' has been hailed for its authenticity and for Stern's decision to record the album in Africa, with African musicians, at the pace of African life. Two years in the making, the CD integrates African and Western music forms with such distinction that it has come to be regarded as a sort of 'Audio Documentary' of African musical life.
Last week, Stern was honored to have been invited to perform at the Eastwind Festival in New Delhi, India. In late March, 'Africa' will be released in Europe. While on tour in the U.S., Stern has strived to convey much of the spirit of the 'Africa' CD, and continues to add concert dates to her schedule: Five new shows have been confirmed for New York City; a return to upstate NY's Night Eagle Caf is set for March; a return to D.C. is confirmed for April, and a West Coast Tour is in the works for May '08, and will include two nights in Los Angeles.
Leni Stern is an artist who defies categorization...one who is constantly adding layers to her diverse repertoire. With 'Africa', it appears that the stars have aligned, and have rewarded her with the most critically acclaimed album of her fascinating career.
THE WASHINGTON POST LENI STERN “Africa" Friday, February 15, 2008 BY MIKE JOYCE
A SPIRITUAL CURRENT always powers Leni Stern's recordings, especially on “Africa," an album inspired by her immersion in Malian and Senegalese culture. Clearly the German- born, New York-based singer-songwriter-guitarist has found another home. Recorded mostly at singer Salif Keita's studio in Bamako, Mali, “Africa" is a cross-cultural prayer meeting of sorts. The album has its share of purely insinuating charms; Stern's shimmering guitar work and an indigenous brew of vocal harmonies, blues bends and percolating beats see to that. But she isn't merely interested in having listeners succumb to the polyrhythmic weaves that distinguish “Alu Maye (Have You Seen)" and other tracks. Much of the music is deeply soulful, a quality underscored by Malian vocalist Ami Sacko, whose robust contralto stands in sharp contrast to Stern's plaintive soprano, and by lyrics addressing sociopolitical nightmares -- the pleading “Childsoldier," for example -- and personal loss. The late saxophonist Michael Brecker, who appears on “Africa," inspires the elegiac ballad “1000 Stars," while the haunting “Saya (Farewell)" is dedicated to percussionist Don Alias, who died in 2006. Because Stern doesn't collaborate with Sacko and fellow West Africans so much as commune with them, she never sounds out of her element, even when her pop and jazz sensibilities are most apparent. THE WASHINGTON POST, BY MIKE JOYCE, 2/15/08
DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE, 1/08 3 STAR CD REVIEW, BY KEN MICALLEF
Leni Stern has had a remarkable journey. Known for years as a talented guitarist who held down a weekly gig at New York's 55 Bar, Stern today is as different from that persona as night and day...Stern has shed multiple skins while taking her music - and her guitar playing - to new, daunting heights. A cancer survivor, Stern has always brought a sense of seeking and solace to her music. Africa is the culmination of those desires. She recorded the album in Mali with a stellar cast of local musicians. It is life affirming and questioning, an accomplished amalgam of native musicians performing African rhythms and tableaus, Stern's vocals and evocative guitar. The integration between Stern's music and the Mali musicians' mastery is nearly seamless. Stern is accompanied on vocals by Ami Sacko, Yagar Damba, Mah Soumano and Dally Kouyate, who bring serenity to the music. Stern also laces Africa with sadness, not only from the tributes to Michael Brecker and Don Alias, but in its ability to capture the enormity of Africa's plight. Throughout it all, Stern fingerpicks gorgeous, subtle guitar solos that blur the lines between blues, jazz and African sounds. DOWNBEAT Magazine, 1/08, by Ken Micallef
Without the support of a major label, Leni Stern has worked for years to keep her releases frequent, of the highest quality, and well noticed. With 'Africa', she has seen major media outlets weigh in with significant coverage -- from The Los Angeles Times to AllMusic, from CNN Radio to Guitar Player, from Downbeat to All About Jazz -- Stern is being recognized for both the content of her new CD as well as for the achievement of getting it done.
AllMusic: “One of the finest offering of 2007 in any genre." “It's a stirring mix in which Leni Stern's crisp, bell-toned electric guitar runs and the sharp horns and melodious keyboards integrate fluidly with talking drums, n'gonis, and ouds, and Stern's impassioned vocals receive a dynamic boost from the battery of Malian vocalists giving voice to her words in their native language. Africa, to its great credit, has absorbed not only the sounds but the feel of native African music. It's a stunning, respectful tribute to Mali's artistry, and to Stern's diligence in making it happen."
The Los Angeles Times: “A work of variety and complexity."
NY TIMES: “A Guitarist and Vocalist with an Ethereal Sensibility"
The Boston Globe: “Leni Stern redefines what it means to be a wide-ranging musician..."
The Boston Herald: “Stern works mightily to integrate her instrument and voice into the ensemble pieces she's written with African collaborators, producing a work of unity, subtlety and African-ness."
Boston Phoenix: “LENI STERN has become a restless, imaginative singer-songwriter who last year on Africa (on her own label) dug deep into the music of Mali."
Philadelphia Inquirer: “Stern creates a memorable amalgam that both celebrates West African music and extends it. The session exudes a sweet vibe and represents its own genre. Easy categorization cannot grasp the many strands of African and Western elements at play here."
All About Jazz: “Africa marks a significant new chapter in a career marked by bold changes. Her fearlessness as an independent traveler, and her endless curiosity about the workings of the world which surrounds her, are reflected in her music. Her lyrics are tender, poetic and, above all, truthful. As a singer, she has variously been described as a combination of Marlene Dietrich with the phrasing of Billie Holiday, and as a cross between Joni Mitchell and Rickie Lee Jones."
For more information contact Seth Cohen PR.
