SHAYNA STEELE sings RAIMONDS PAULS

PREMIERE

Latvian Maestro Raimonds Pauls’ melodies from different periods have been collected in a project, in which the texts in English were written for them by the internationally recognized American songwriter Gordon Pogoda. They were sung by the owner of a powerful voice, Shayna Steele, who is also a songwriter herself, as well as an actress of New York’s Broadway theaters and TV series.

She has starred in such well-known series as The Sopranos and The Penguin, and her vocals can be heard in the movies Hairspray, In the Heights, The Bourne Identity and Sex and the City 2, where she also appears in a small role. She has also collaborated with music stars Moby, Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, Bette Midler, Chris Botti and the band Snarky Puppy.

Steele has also become a recognized solo artist on the music scene, having already released four albums. Last year’s Gold Dust features California-born, New York-based Steele’s passion for a powerful blend of jazz and blues, where her voice can literally soar above the accompaniment of an orchestra of musicians. The combination of the strong R’n’B and jazzy vocal sound of the style and the Maestro’s wonderful melodies performed by the chamber orchestra Kremerata Baltica and the accompanying band is something that we can all look forward to with great impatience on the 25th anniversary of the Rīgas Ritmi Festival.

"Steele’s range, versatility and varied influences – from jazz to gospel, soul and folk – encapsulates all of the possibility brimming from the American musical canon according to the highs and lows of her powerhouse vocal." – music portal Okayplayer

SHAYNA STEELE vocal
VIKTORS RITOVS piano
RIHARDS GOBA guitar
EDVĪNS OZOLS double bass
ARTIS ORUBS drums
MĀRIS JĒKABSONS tenor saxophone
KRISTAPS LUBOVS baritone saxophone
LAURA ROZENBERGA trombone
OSKARS OZOLIŅŠ trumpet
Chamber orchestra KREMERATA BALTICA