Simaku

"Only with you, I shine like new" Simaku confides in her emotionally driving, melancholy-tinged tune, lush with electronic textures and backed by a bossa nova beat. "Infuse me with your energy, in my darkest hour..." — Simaku will take you on a philosophical journey, sharing her insights and experiences with a style all her own. With a potent blend of thought provoking lyrics and haunting melodies, her image and music are part archive, part futurism. Already adored by millions of fans around the world, her cross-cultural message of love, life and compassion is ever present.

Born a native of Albania, by age 5, Simaku began performing with the theatre group in Kavajë. By the time she was 9, she was already the main draw in large venues and on national television. Quickly stealing the hearts of millions of fans, she went on to garner her country's lifetime achievement award in music, the youngest to ever do so at age 16. She remains the only artist to have performed in her own music videos on Albanian television. Having garnered a degree in dramatic arts from College of Fine Arts in Tiranë, this Balkan chanteuse is considered by many an ambassador of Albanian folk and culture. Her tapes and videos have been distributed into the millions, but Simaku is best known for her stunning live performances. Her travels have included jaunts around the globe to Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Greece, Turkey, and Algeria, performing for princes, presidents, ambassadors and the culturally elite.

But fame and early achievements proved not to satisfy the ambitions of this uniquely driven artist who seems to know no boundaries. One day while performing in Italy, Simaku escaped the narrow confines of her government and relocated to the United States. "I knew I would be able to further my creative expressions if I came to America," she exclaims. It was the early months performing jazz standards and her native folk music in cabarets and upscale restaurants in New York, Boston, Detroit, and Chicago, that she became enthralled with the music of Billie Holiday. "She touched me with her soul and I felt like I identified with her pain. I know now that I have to mix the past with the modern and capture the emotion like she did and still does." Her other influences include Portishead, Björk and Sade.

Three years later Simaku moved to Los Angeles, receiving vocal coaching from Seth Riggs, refining her songwriting skills and meeting and working with various producers including LeMel Humes and Richard Perry. In 1996 she wrote and recorded "Noi Siamo Uno" (We Are One) with producer Steve Snow and the song was included on the Moonshine/Virgin release Purified. In 1999, a tip from Oliver Lieber led to her working on the Forces of Nature soundtrack for DreamWorks. In the last year, Simaku has been crafting powerful anthems that are a mixture of world, alternative, electronica and eastern-European folk.

"The world is open to the sharing of culture when it comes to music, the universal language," exclaims Simaku in a recent radio interview in Kosova where she toured to aid Kosovar children. "Peace will only come when we understand that we are all plus and minus." She is currently rehearsing for upcoming shows in Hollywood with a line-up of seasoned players from Los Angeles, New York and Louisiana.

ATTEND Musæus to my sacred song,
and learn what rites to sacrifice belong.
Jove I invoke, the earth and solar light,
The moon's pure splendor, and the stars of the night.
~ORPHEUS

Ejani Muza ne kengen time tshenjte asistoni,
Zotin kendoj, tokes dhe drites se djellit,
shkelqimin e venitur thenes,
Dhe yjeve te nates lart qellit

aesthete or esthete (ĕs'thēt) — 1. One who cultivates an unusually high sensitivity to beauty, as in art or nature. 2. One whose pursuit and admiration of beauty is regarded as excessive or affected.

This album is dedicated to my first teacher of music, my father. Also I would like to thank my family and friends in and out of Albania but especially Mami. I will always be indebted to Albania and the Albanian Diaspora who have applauded me with such passion and generosity and I'm grateful to no end. A very special thank you to Jason Whittington and thanks to Amy Basler and all at Reincarnate and everyone else who contributed to the realization of this album.

(p)&© 2006 Muza Records, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Manufactured and distributed in the USA by SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, 550 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10022 under exclusive license by Reincarnate Music.

NEW NEW NEW — VIA HOLLYWOOD IN ENGLISH

Simaku recorded 10 original songs in Hollywood.

Literary Influences

L. Poradeci (1899–1987) — a poetical talent of a different nature, a brilliant lyrical poet, wrote a soft and warm poetry, but with a deep thinking and a charming musicality: Vallja e yjeve (The Dance of Stars), 1933; Ylli i zemrës (The Star of Heart), 1937.

F. S. Noli (1882–1965) — one of the most versatile figures: a distinguished poet, historian, dramatist, aesthete and musicologist, publicist, translator and master of the Albanian language, on top of being a statesman and diplomat — the genius of Albanian culture of the 20th century.

MySpace "Top Friends"

David Greenald · Nouvelle Vague · Paul van Dyk · John Stanfield · Kiara · Lisa Loeb · Judy Garland

"Through our travels in body and mind, we will discover and promote only the most original and interesting music from around the world and from unknown depths of the mind and soul."

— muzarecords.com (c. 2006) · Muza Records, LLC · New York, NY

Albanian singer brings homeland to U.S. ears

Not many singers would volunteer to give away free copies of their music. But that's precisely what Albanian chanteuse Simaku is doing with her new album, Echoes from Iliria, which was released in February.

Simaku says this generous offering is her way of giving something back to the place whose music, history and culture have given her so much inspiration. "It's a great opportunity for me to share with the Albanian people," says Simaku, who's on a tour of Borders Books & Music stores. "I'm so grateful to them. These are my country's folk songs. Why would I ask them for money?"

Simaku grew up in a musical family and has been singing and performing since she was a young child. By the time she was a teenager, she already was a professional singer and a star in Albania through a series of hit songs. She went on to win her country's prestigious Naim Frashëri Award at age 17 and became the first artist to create music videos in Albania.

"I come from a very poor country, but musically I feel very rich," Simaku says.

Even though her career was skyrocketing in Europe at the time, Simaku still felt unsatisfied with her fame and accomplishments. She wanted to experience a creative rebirth and pursue new directions with her music, so she decided a move to the United States was her best choice.

After arriving 14 years ago, Simaku lived in New York City for three years before moving to Los Angeles, where she met her husband and producer, Robert Nolfe. The two have since relocated to New York City and have done numerous tours in clubs throughout the eastern United States.

With Echoes from Iliria, which refers to the ancient kingdom and people widely believed to be the direct ancestors of Albanians, Simaku has become the first Albanian artist to be signed to an American record label (Muza Records) and have her music released by a major distributor (Sony/BMG).

Sung in the Albanian language, each track mixes Albanian folk structures with melodic pop hooks, danceable rhythms and crisp studio production for a unique sound that Simaku hopes will help her reach a broader audience in America.

Nolfe says they were just trying to "make music we'd like to listen to," but adds they also were striving to create a record that is "accessible to a greater variety of listeners. We wanted to do something that crosses a lot of bridges," he says.

In addition to co-producing Echoes from Iliria with Simaku, Nolfe says he played about 80 percent of the instruments himself, including guitar, bass, keyboards and several ethnic Albanian instruments. The remainder of the music was performed by a handful of friends, including two prominent Albanian musicians, Maks Vathi and Binak Elezi, on clarinet and accordion.

However, always at the center of the record, floating gracefully above the dense, rootsy atmospherics of the music, is Simaku's ethereal, oddly hypnotic alto. As Nolfe is quick to point out, "she always led the way with her melodies and her voice."

"I improvise a lot," she says, "but I always need to have that pop streak in my music. I just let the music take me. That is true art."

Since the day she left Albania, we always find surprise when you bring in the memory of Albania, the singer who left footprints not just as a pop singer but especially for the pearls of Albanian folk. The first time she came from America, she had a new image. All the spectators at the Palatit Kongreseve were very surprised with the changes that she had made, not just in her music, but now in her life was Robert.

Not long ago, she lived miracle moments when in her life came little Luke. Now a mother, Simaku is sharing these emotions about this great moment. In her new album, Parashqevi Simaku has another surprise that she has saved to share it with the public.

Do you remember the day you left Albania the first time?

The very first time I left Albania was actually when I sang in Denmark with a delegation of Albanian youth at Festival Roskilde (still the largest music festival in Northern Europe). I remember singing like 40–50 folk songs that night for an international audience of thousands of people outdoors. It was in the "white nights" of Scandinavia. I had an amazing experience but actually I couldn't wait to come back home. Even to this day I am very connected to my country.

After that I sang in many countries always representing the folk of Albania — Algiers, Turkey, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Greece with different ensembles and orchestras and I always came back home.

In 1992 I went to America. Not very often do I look back to that day. I prefer to think of the future. It was not just something that popped in my mind — Let me go there so I can realize my dreams — because to me life itself is a dream. But it was the ambition to promote Albanian music on the stage of the world. And this is a motif that accompanies me step after step to praise the Albanian folk song. Albanian folk is the oldest and most original music that exists.

Life in America offers many opportunities but it's not easy to make it. You were silent for a while. Why?

Oh — I can't live without singing. I'm a little surprised that you are asking me this question. I have been very busy indeed always, always singing. Every day I sing, in concerts, in different studios, at home or in a small café, everywhere I always find a way to work with musicians in and out of Albania.

I came back home with a tour that I baptized with the name "Këngët e Popullit Tim" (The Songs of My People). The first concert I gave in my birthplace Kavajë and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who supported me. And also in the cities of Tiranë, Vlorë, Elbasan, Fier, where I lived special emotions in the stadiums full of people where I sang until midnight under the stars.

After these concerts I sang in America with my English project with my band in some Hollywood clubs — Martini Lounge, The Gig — Galapagos and Piazza Bella in New York, Anthony's Pier 4 in Boston, but always in the center of my activities has been the Albanian folk.

How did you start your collaboration in the United States?

One of my first songs which I co-wrote with the producer Steve Snow was "Noi Siamo Uno" and then I collaborated with writer/producer Lemell Humes who worked with Ray Charles, Whitney Houston and Stevie Wonder. But I felt like it was only a drop of water in this big ocean. I felt like I was doing something that did not represent the depth of my soul. I embraced the Albanian folk, because that's where I find the inspiration I was missing to do something unique artistically. For me the folk song is in my blood.

Robert being from the South in the U.S., having deep roots in blues music and the culture of New Orleans, he found it natural and mysterious to connect with the music of my land and was fascinated by the Albanian folk music and he always thought of it as undiscovered like a forbidden apple.

Which composers do you prefer?

I would prefer to mention Pjeter Gaci, Nikolla Zoraqi, Agim Krajka, Limos Dizdari, Spartak Tili, Avni Mula, Hajg Zaharian, and Rexhep Hasimi.

Your connection with Robert — how much has he influenced you?

Not just as a singer but as a songwriter as well. Until the wee hours of the morning, Robert and I would be in our home studio, writing, recording or rehearsing some kind of music or songs.

You always have been connected with folk music. Why?

As a child I sang every Sunday with my grandpa, my father and my mother. From my dad Kito Simaku, I learned how to sing. He taught me how to sing "Iso" by singing "Ehhhh" and "Ohhhh." This music is the only treasure that no one could reproduce or copy, you can't buy it or sell it and this is the Albanian folk.

A story of when you have lived through very strong emotions?

When I became a mother, that moment was sublime. He was born a year ago and now he is the inspiration in my music. He just started walking and he's brought so much luck and many new things in our lives. For his birthday we bought him a little wooden piano and he loves to bang on it and yell "ahh — ohh" and Robert says "look my son's doing Rock and Roll."

What represents a day for Parashqevi Simaku?

I love New York. I love Central Park. I spend a lot of time outside with Luke. I love to cook. I love to paint and read as many books as I can. Robert smiles and says "I'm lucky because all the women in the world like diamonds but you ask me for books." We spend a lot of time in the studio, recording, writing, singing in the company of guitar. Music is always around us.

Have you achieved your dream or are you sprinting towards it?

The peak of all my work is the new songs and this new music that I have written and recorded with Robert. We are about to finish the mixes of my new album in Albanian language where Albanian folk is the base of this project. I have tried to bring an original variation of some great songs of our folk which is our only treasure. On a special note I would like to dedicate this album to Albanians wherever they are around the world.

What do you think of the changes in Albanian music?

Every generation has its own music with which it identifies. The art in general shows where the people's spirit is. Even Hollywood nowadays calls it the "music business." I think that art and business don't really mix well. They are counter to each other. Many of the top selling artists of the world don't even sing live. The songs of today are like fashion. But true music is like the seasons and the folk songs are like the leaves that fall and are reborn again in the spring. True art has always found a way, just like the light at the end of the tunnel. The folk music has always resisted time.

ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER INVITES LOS ANGELES-BASED ALBANIAN RECORDING ARTIST SIMAKU TO SING BEFORE SOLD-OUT CROWDS IN ALBANIA

Major Concert Series To Benefit The International Red Cross And Kosovar Refugees

The Office of Prime Minister of Albania and the Mayor of Kavajë recently invited Los Angeles-based Albanian singer-songwriter Simaku to ease the pain and suffering of Albanians with her music in a major concert series to benefit the International Red Cross. Over 20,000 people are expected to attend the first concert alone. Simaku also took time to gather and bring letters and videos from American school children, addressed to Albanian refugee children.

WHAT: Red Cross Benefit Concerts and CD Release

WHEN: Saturday, July 24th, 7PM

WHERE: Stadium Besa in Kavajë, Albania (other dates in Tiranë, Durrës, Peqin)

Since age 13, Simaku has performed for sold-out stadiums and venues in Albania and across Europe — representing Albanian culture as an integral part of her country's cultural-exchange program. Her notorious music videos remain favorites of Albanian television today.

In 1989, Simaku performed hit song "Mos Ja Prishni Lumturinë" (Don't Take Away Their Happiness) on live TV with a choir of Albanian children. This infamous song is about an event in Kosovar history when several Albanian children were poisoned while staying in a hospital.