|
ANOUSCHKA
Name means a rose almost without thorns
Music is good music for a good cause Anouschka's slogan “good music for a good cause” ties in various causes with her performances and releases. Proceeds from her second album release went to www.milelechildren.com, a scholarship foundation in Kenya. Her current release funds her volunteer work in South Africa studying wildlife conservation. Anouschka was born in Sweden but raised in the United States, Europe and Asia. This international background is vividly reflected in her music where she draws upon various influences with ease. She speaks French, English, Swedish and German. After college in the US, Anouschka, rebel and guitar babe at heart, moved to Stockholm and joined a Swedish all-girl rock band. An offer for a TV project lured her back to the States. She spent some years in New York working in advertising and moonlighting in a comedy improv group. Determined to become a better musician, she left NYC to attend Berklee College of Music. Upon graduating, she worked as a music teacher in the Boston inner city schools. She also released her first EP “Anouschka”. Ivan Kreilkamp, Boston Phoenix : “Anouschka is a local Berklee grad who's put together an impressive collection of tunes here in a retro, jazzy pop style reminiscent of Rickie Lee Jones or Phoebe Snow. Her affecting songs exert a seductive charm, leaving a vivid impression of their cast of searching characters....” In 1999 Anouschka moved to Los Angeles where her performances received rave reviews. Chad Goodell, Music Connection, Los Angeles 02/13/2000: “ Anouschka ... plays crystal-clear, AC, Rickie Lee Jones-style pop with country/folk/torch/ blues ballads....{She} is an accomplished guitar player who uses chromatic chord changes, subtle underscoring, and lots of surprising dynamics that homogenize her airy compositions....Anouschka is a strong vocalist, but a surprisingly fine, subtle acoustic guitarist ...With her current backing band, in a year or so, Anouschka could be an AC favorite.” A herniated disc/spine surgery forced her to take a break from stage work. In 2005, looking for a slower pace, she returned to Sweden. In Stockholm she stood out as the only woman at jams who could play guitar, bandlead the men while improvising tunes on the spot. These blues influences and improvisational approach are heard in her album “My Kind of Heartbreak". The album placed on the Americana Charts (AMA) for 2 months, and "Man Like You" was # 2 on the Midnight Special Blues Radio Chart in France. During this time, Anouschka also appeared in plays and national TV commercials in Sweden and Denmark. Anouschka has performed in the U.S. (New York, Boston, Los Angeles), traditional establishments in Europe, such as the Babylon Theatre in Berlin, Germany at the Democratic Nomination Party, Lilith Eve Festival at the Royal Gardens in Sweden, and the Jazz and Blues festivals at Järfälla, Sweden. She has worked with such stellar musicians such as Allen Hinds (Patti Austin, Mary J. Blige), Arno Luca (Ricky Lee Jones), Chuck Anthony (Back Street Boys, Ace of Base, Roy Ayers) and James Bradley Junior (Beastie Boys, Anita Baker, Chuck Mangione). |
