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"Tami
Machnai is a performer of extraordinary creativity, vocal talent and
passion, a consummate artist of great emotional depth. Her work has
a special spark that always moves her audience in ways they don't
expect."
--Hankus
Netsky Founder and Director, Klezmer Conservatory Band.
“I admire her
depth and magnetism and the rich mix of her Western and Middle
Eastern repertoire”
--Osvaldo
Golijov, Composer
Singer/composer/pianist
Tami Machnai's artistry evokes a unique and intimate cross over
style. Built on a strong classical foundation, Machnai's musical
journey includes powerful elements of mystery, storytelling and
theater. Machnai's music defies traditional definition. Her fierce
independence and refusal to settle, driven by her passion for simply
great music creates a very personal style of her own.
Able to
move comfortably between very different, sometimes extreme, musical
languages, Machnai organically weaves sound colors into rich
personal interpretations. Drawn to the peculiar, non-conventional
(modal) harmonies with influences from classical and contemporary
composers-- through Sephardic and Middle Eastern historic and sacred
sounds-- to British Folk and orchestral progressive rock from the
70's (Pink Floyd, Queen, Kate Bush, Led Zeppelin) and contemporary
lyrical songwriters ( Rufus Wainwright, Jeff Buckley, Fiona Apple)
-- Machnai composes and performs music seeking depth, echoing
emotions and startling with elements of surprise. She leads and
directs a flexible ensemble in which you will find piano, guitars,
violin, cello, clarinet/flute, accordion, bass, drums and hand
percussion.
Recent
credits include performing at Lincoln
Center, NY in
Peter Sellars' production of the opera 'Ainadamar'
by Osvaldo Golijov, performing at The
Fleet Center, Boston, at the opening ceremony of the
International JCC Maccabi Games, for an audience of fifteen
thousand; performing with the L.A. Philharmonic at the new Disney
Hall in a production of Osvaldo Golijov 's opera 'Ainadamar';
two performances in Auckland and
Wellington, New
Zealand; a Performance at the Argentinean Jewish Relief
Campaign of Greater Boston concert (AJRC) for an audience of nine
hundred; and performing at the Boston 'First Night' celebrations on
New Years eve 2004. Machnai was also joining creative forces
recently with producer Stephen
Webber (Aaron Neville, Meshell Ndegeocello, Lindsey Mac) to
produce her new CD, prelude to a future album. As a song writer she
has received prestigious awards. Two of her songs each won first
prize in the BILLBOARD
International Song Competition, World Music category: 'Yo M'enamori'
won 2004 and 'Summertime Debka' won in 2007.
In 2005 Ms.
Machnai celebrated the release of her CD 'Levante' in Boston and New
York. The shows received superb responses from the audience, as well
as from representatives of the music industry and media. In the
Boston area Tami has performed at a wide range of venues including
Ryles Jazz Club, Karoun Restaurant, the Boston Public Library, the
Berklee Performance Center, Longi School of Music and the French
Library, as well as numerous Jewish temples. She was also featured
on the Boston NBC affiliate, WHDH Channel Seven News in a broadcast
of the 2004 First Night celebration.
Outside the U.S., Ms.
Machnai has performed in Wellington and Auckland, New Zealand, in
Temple Sinay and Liston Park Festival; in Tokyo, Japan, at Club
Kokatoo; in Caracas, Venezuela, at the Yohan Sebastian Bar and La
Casa De Cultura; and in World Music Performance workshops at
colleges and community music schools in Zurich, Switzerland, and in
Marakai, Venezuela.
In her native Israel, Ms. Machnai has
performed several times on Israeli national television and has
performed in Tel Aviv at the Jazz O'mania Music Festival and the
Suzanne Dalal Dance Festival. She has recorded a SONY Television
commercial as soloist of the Arnon Palti Jazz Quartet, worked in
collaboration with the Nimrod Frid Dance Ensemble, and has recorded
with Boston Reggae singer/songwriter Casper John on four of his
albums.
Ms. Machnai's music draws on her rich cultural and
educational background. She began her studies as a classical pianist
at the Dunia Weitzman Conservatory in Haifa, Israel, and continued
at the Rimon School of Music in Tel-Aviv, Israel. Tami Machnai holds
a Master's degree in Contemporary Improvisation from the New England
Conservatory
(with academic honors), a Bachelor's degree in Vocal
Performance from Berklee College of Music (Summa Cum Laude), and a
Graduation Certificate from the Rimon School Of Jazz and
Contemporary Music in Israel.
Audience Response:
I absolutely LOVED the
show.
By
all accounts it was a tremendous success. You really should feel
very, very proud of yourself. On an artistic level, I was completely
blown away by all the growth that you have done in the years that I
have known you. Your voice was perfect, the arrangements awesome,
and the music truly otherworldly!
--Panos
Panay, Founder/ CEO, Sonicbids
This
is the first time I got to see you live, and I think that you are a
natural performer. Your voice sounds amazing. To me, it doesn't just
sound as Middle Eastern music, but it has an additional
sophisticated classical element, and what I liked the most is the
mysterious element. Kind of like the early Pink Floyd
albums.
--Alan
Abergel, Esq., entertainment attorney, Los Angeles CA
"The
performance last night was like a polished diamond--brilliant, warm
and with many facets created by the individual artists surrounding
the center Tami, who was absolutely flawless. You were super in
presentation and had the audience in your grasp as soon as you
completed the first number. People sitting with us who were hearing
you for the first time were overwhelmed. You are blessed with a
talent and personality that is priceless; enjoyed by those who are
in, or will come in, contact with you.
--Sandy
Kimball-- Fan
“I
have now listened to your album 3 times all the way through and it
is better with each time. I have never heard anything like it in my
life. It has become one of my favorite albums. Your voice is
absolutely incredible, the instrumentation just carries the listener
away, and it has such power in moving the spirit. I don't know what
else to say. I must see your live show. That's all there is to it.”
--Jordan
Page--fan, email through CD baby
This is an
amazing first album! Tami Machnai powerful fusion of Middle Eastern
and western sounds takes you on a 1001 night trip. What sets her out
from other performers is that she's already found her style, her
special brand of music. You can almost imagine yourself sitting on
the beach on the Mediterranean shore, looking at the sea from dusk
to midnight and hear life waking up, getting active and slowly going
to sleep. It's timeless.
--Li
from Switzerland -Review for CDbaby.com--
This
is my favorite Sephardic album. She sings with passion and kavanah,
the instrumentation is rich without being too much, and the melodies
are hauntingly beautiful. You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy this
album of Mediterranean world music.
--
Andrea Frankel – Review for CDbaby.com--
Beautiful,
haunting melodies and vocals. Love the new interpretation of
traditional songs, and new songs with Israeli and ladino
influences.
--Elena,
Boston, Review at Cdbaby.com—
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