Martina Sorbara

Canada has long been known for raising amazing female singer-songwriters. All the way from Joni Mitchell, k.d. lang, and Sarah McLachlan, to Alanis Morissette and Jann Arden, and now comes Martina Sorbara. Hailing from Toronto, Sorbara definitely tips her hat of influences toward some of these pioneers, along with John Prine, Sarah Vaughn, Cyndi Lauper, and her musical hero Tom Waits. Though in a certain way, she is more reminiscent of Ben Harper. You see, like Harper, Sorbara makes her own guitars, her own clothes, too. And, also like Harper, her music spans a wide range of genres, yet settles neatly back into a pop vein in the end. A splash of jazz, a dash of folk, a pinch of rock - these are the ingredients she uses to blend her artistic potions. First picking up the guitar at age 11, Sorbara learned the basics and took her own trajectory from there, creating a unique playing style that suits her needs. By 15, she was writing her own songs and performing for audiences, playing both piano and guitar. Over the years, Sorbara has been spotted at high-profile events such as Austin's South by Southwest and The Edmonton Folk Festival, and opening tours for Billy Bragg and Bryan Ferry. When she's not focused on her music, Sorbara spends time with her other passion, sketching and creating other visual arts. Her debut album, The Cure for Bad Deeds hit the streets in early 2002 via Canada's own Nettwerk Records. Like a bag of jelly beans, each song is a musical treat on its own, with a different flavor than the previous.