But it is the artist that makes it so awesome.  sorry... :(
                            Read more...
                        

                            
Rivers of the Soul (self-released)

elena is a folksinger in the traditional, protest songwriting, acoustic guitar strumming, coffee house/union hall type of way, except that instead of being a 60's college dropout, she is a native New Zealander currently based on Magnetic Island, located in the middle of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. On her debut CD, elena covers a number of weighty topics (i.e. environmental devastation and women's empowerment), as well as more autobiographical material, with disarmingly direct observations and honesty. Vocally she sings in a warm but forthright alto voice with plenty of power and conviction. This is a pretty bare bones sounding recording, but it puts elena front and center, which is where she deserves to be. She has recently been touring and earning acclaim in Canada and hopefully will make a full American tour soon. Protest singing is certainly not passé in this day and age.
                            Read more...
                        

                            
Singer songwriter elena reaches back into her ethnic origins to draw strength from her ancestors by integrating Polynesian and Afro-American music, to produce a startlingly fresh and vibrant musical style.

elena's music is in a very personal style. Her musical career is a recent new venture for her, and she's not afraid to put her personal opinions about environmental and social issues up front in her music. One song on this CD particularly focuses on conflicts related to inappropriate and exploitative developments in her home area of Magnetic Island, Queensland. Her songs also address the timeless issues of human relationships, partings, love lost and found. Her music is probably at its strongest when she sings from the heart, as she clearly does on some tracks.

Her first release, Rivers of the Soul may sound a touch raw musically in places, but conveys passion and emotion about her chosen subjects. She's backed on most tracks on this CD by a band consisting of mandolin, lead and bass guitars, harmonica, drumkit, didgeridoo, djembe and additional percussion. On some tracks such as "Her Song - funked up" the band drop into a nice funky blues based groove behind her vocals, perhaps the strongest musical style of the album."
                            Read more...
                        

                            
elena, her powerful voice resonating deeply, like an echo of Tracy Chapman's, bursts forth in a passionate embrace of inspired music and thought-provoking lyrics. Influenced by life and its struggles, elena's toe-tapping songs send messages of strength and empowerment to all who hear
the indigenous singer/songwriter perform.
                            Read more...