The NAC Presents series, in partnership with BMO Financial Group, is proud to welcome Danny Michel, one of Canada’s finest and most charming songwriters and 2013 JUNO nominee for “World Album of the Year” for his latest release, Black Birds Are Dancing Over Me. Danny appears for the very first time on the Studio stage for two nights only, March 27 and 28. Touring with a trio of musicians, he will perform a selection of songs from the new release.

A former resident of Ottawa, Danny performed regularly at the Manx Pub and even wrote a song about the capital city’s Elgin Street (“Elgin Avenue,” featured on his 1999 album Fibsville). His 2003 album Tales from the Invisible Man and his 2008 DVD Welcome Home were both nominated for JUNOs. One of Danny’s recent releases, Sunset Sea (2011), was recorded with GRAMMY-nominated American producer Mark Stockert and was created and recorded in Belize, Costa Rica, Holland, Canada and the U.S. Danny built excitement and anticipation around the album with a behind-the-scenes look into his studio and the making of the record. He even challenged his fans around the world to submit their own tracks for the album. As a result, he replaced some of his own work with what he considered better ideas from his fans, and one of the tracks features a chorus of fans from around the world.

Danny Michel signed with Six Shooter Records in 2012 to produce Black Birds Are Dancing Over Me, which was recorded in Belize with the Garifuna Collective, a unique Afro-Amerindian cultural group. Black Birds… will be released worldwide later this spring through Stonetree Records (Belize) and Cumbancha, alongside a new album by the Garifuna Collective.

 

When Danny is not on stage, he is a very sought after producer. He also founded the Danny Michel Ocean Academy Fund to help raise scholarship money for the students of Ocean Academy, a small non-profit community high school on Caye Caulker, a coral island off the coast of Belize. To date, he’s raised over $40,000 for the school and volunteers there whenever he can.

 

With three JUNO nominations and more than half a dozen solo albums to his credit, Danny Michel is one of the finest and most charming songwriters to grace the stage. His honest and straightforward lyrics, earnest live performances and witty stage banter have earned him a devoted global fan base. If you’ve seen Danny live in concert, you’re probably already a fan. If you haven’t, you’re missing out on “one of this country’s undiscovered musical treasures” (Toronto Star).

 

Special guest: Quique Escamilla

 

Quique Escamilla was born and raised in the warm, tropical state of Chiapas, Mexico. This talented multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, producer and CBC recording artist has been based in Toronto since 2007.

 

Quique has skilfully mastered the art of captivating and engaging his audience as well as breaking down language barriers through his powerful voice, passionate delivery and diverse musical styles. His music combines traditional Mexican styles such as ranchera and huapango with modern sounds of rock, reggae, ska, pop, jazz, cumbia, bolero and a variety of other Latin American rhythms. His lyrics carry powerful messages that are inspired by and support various social and political issues: human and civil rights, immigration reform, global conservation, anti-racism, discrimination, anti-oppression and Indigenous rights.

 

 

Danny Michel and Quique Escamilla perform in the National Arts Centre Studio on Wednesday, March 27 and Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 8 p.m.

 

Tickets: $33, available for purchase:

• In person at the NAC Box Office
• At all Ticketmaster outlets
• By telephone from Ticketmaster, 1-888-991-2787 (ARTS)
• Online through the Ticketmaster link on the NAC website (www.nac-cna.ca)

A service charge applies on all purchases made through Ticketmaster

 

Buy tickets to 4 or more NAC Presents performances and save! Packages start at $60.

 

Groups of 10 or more save 15% to 20% off regular ticket prices. To reserve your seats, call 613‑947‑7000, ext. 634 or e-mail grp@nac-cna.ca.

ABOUT NAC PRESENTS

Showcasing the country’s established artists and those at the forefront of the next generation, NAC Presents in partnership with BMO Financial Group promises a dynamic range of incredible performers who represent the best in Canadian contemporary music. NAC Presents is the place to be if you want to experience a concert by a Canadian icon, or to be right up close with the icons of the future.

“NAC Presents is like a curated calendar of concerts by the most interesting, ear-to-the-ground music lover you know—all genres, all Canadian, all amazing,” said Canadian singer‑songwriter Sarah Slean, who appeared in the debut season of NAC Presents.

That ear-to-the ground music lover is Producer Simone Deneau, whose musical taste and keen sense of what’s hot in the Canadian music scene have shaped the NAC’s newest programming stream into one of the most important music series in the country.

 

“Coming to Ottawa for the NAC Presents series was a true honour,” said Sheila Carabine and Amanda Walther of Dala, who return to NAC Presents on May 9. “Looking up at the marquee and seeing all that home-grown talent really made us feel part of a bigger musical picture. It made us proud to be Canadian artists.”

 

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For more information:

Marie-Chantale Labbé, Associate Communications and Marketing Officer
NAC Presents
613-947-7000, ext. 526

 

 

THE 2012–13 NAC PRESENTS LINEUP

 

Singer-songwriters, soul, blues, country, rock and pop—NAC Presents is bursting at the seams with great Canadian music.

 

For more detailed information about NAC Presents artists, please visit http://nac-cna.ca/en/presents.