Born of Egyptian and Lebanese decent, NEeMA’s presence on and off stage is as powerful and charismatic, as her voice is honest and distinct. She has traveled extensively, having shared time with the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa, having worked with street children in Egypt, as well as having had the privilege of working with the Tribal Elders of Wekweti, an isolated First Nation community in northern Canada. Perhaps it is from these sorts of experiences that she found the ability to communicate her stories through poetry and song, focusing on those themes that are dear to the human heart.
With her sophomore album, ‘Watching You Think’ (Sony International, February 1, 2011), produced in association with Leonard Cohen and Pierre Marchand (Sarah McLachlan, Ron Sexsmith) Canadian singer NEeMA is ready to show everyone what she’s made of. The 12-track album features elements of world music, folk, and jazz with a good measure of pop, though it tends to evoke memories of Glenn Gould’s singular pop hit “Downtown,” Jenny Owen Youngs, Natalie Merchant and Joni Mitchell particularly for her storytelling bent – likely a reason Cohen so readily associates with the songstress .
The album complemented by some of Montreal’s best musicians including Tim Kingsbury (Arcade Fire) and Tom Mennier (Martha and Rufus Wainwright). ‘Watching You Think’ is deeply intimate collection of songs filled with heart, depth and reflection.
To promote the upcoming launch of the record NEeMA recently announced an extensive series of US fall tour dates, including select performances with The Chapin Sisters with whom she just kicked off her US Tour at The Rock Shop in Brooklyn.
NEeMA Fall/Winter 2010 Tour Dates:
10/10 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Rock Shop NY*
10/12 – Portland, ME @ One Longfellow Square*
10/13 – Providence, RI @ The Spot Underground / Woods Hole Film Festival Benefit*
10/14 – Shelbourne Falls, MA @ Mocha Maya*
10/15 – Boston, MA @ The Red Room @ Cafe 939*
10/23 – Los Angeles @ Hotel Cafe
10/25 – Arlington, VA @ IOTA Club & Cafe*
10/27 – Charlottesville, VA @ Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar*
10/28 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Tin Angel*
11/01 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Cafe*
11/03 – Kent, OH @ The Kent Stage*
11/04 – Oberlin, OH @ Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse/Oberlin College*
11/05 – Cleveland, OH @ The Beachland Tavern*
11/06 – Ottawa, Canada @ TBD
11/08 – Des Moines, IA @ Java Joe’s 4th Street Theatre*
11/09 – Zumbrota, MN @ Crossings at Carnegie*
11/10 – Minneapolis, MN @ Dakota Jazz Club*
11/13 – Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club*
11/14 – Evanston,IL @ S.P.A.C.E.*
11/16 – Louisville, KY @ ear X-tacy instore performance*
11/19 – Woodstock, NY @ Bearsville Theater*
11/20 – The Living Room – New York, NY
11/30 – Bellingham, WA @ Green Frog Cafe & Acoustic Tavern*
12/02 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios*
12/09 – Felton, CA @ Don Quixote’s International Music Hall*
* Denotes performance with The Chapin Sisters
Resources:
NEeMA Offical Website
NEeMA Myspace Page
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