Canadian artist Amanda Martinez is thrilled to celebrate the release of Libre (Free) in the U.S. A beautiful album that features her award winning band and several special guest artists. It is her most musically eclectic recording yet. For this 4th album, Amanda Martinez called on her good friend and Canadian Juno award winning singer Kellylee Evans to collaborate on a song and new video title “Liberame”.
This new video that premiered today, was shot during the pandemic down in Ottawa at Origin studio and done all in one day wearing masks between shots. “I was lucky to have been funded by FACTOR for this video and we had a deadline so everyone came together to make it happen”, says Amanda. “I am proud of this song and grateful for the friendship and experience behind it.” She says she has been inspired by her friend who over the years has overcome so many challenges and faced each one with determination and grace. “For me the song represents picking yourself up again and not being afraid to reach out to one another for support.”
For her full length album Libre, the initial idea for Amanda was to create an album with influences from Africa, where her mother is from, but as she worked on it, and different people came into her life, the concept evolved, and she realized she wanted the freedom also to include songwriters from other places and from different genres. That led to the idea of the concept behind Libre.
Libre boasts an impressive group of collaborators that include artists such as Cuban-born, Miami-based singer/songwriter Elsten Torres; Canadian jazz singer Kellyee Evans; Malagasy guitarist and singer Donné Roberts; Sudanese multi-instrumentalist Waleed Abdulhmid; and Cuban singer/songwriter, and guitarist Pablosky Rosales. She is backed by a band comprising producer/guitarist Kevin Laliberte; Alexander Brown, trumpet and flugelhorn; Osvaldo Rodriguez, violin; Amanda’s husband, Drew Birston on bass; and percussionist Rosendo “Chendy” Léon. Special guests include Vancouver cellist Harold Birston, and Costa Rican singer and songwriter Guadalupe Urbina.
