NEeMA - Watching You Think - June 29

Recently, I was contacted by the lovely Nadine NEeMA, who shared with me the cover for her upcoming CD, Watching You Think. The artwork for the CD is a portrait of NEeMA drawn by Leonard Cohen, so she immediately had my attention. NEeMA told me that her new CD, which will be released in Canada this Tuesday, June 29, was produced in association with Leonard and Pierre Marchand (Sarah McLachlan, Ron Sexsmith). Here is the cover art by Leonard:



I asked Nadine how she came to know Leonard and she shared this:

Leonard and I met on the street - we live near each other in Montreal and spent time at the same cafes and the park. We became friends over the years, and when I was writing songs for this new album I began sharing them with him. I learned so much about songwriting from him. I also would sit for him as he liked to draw me. The cover of the album is one of the portraits he did that also ended up in his exhibitions. I love it - there's something that really resembles me in it.

About her music, Leonard has said, "in the midst of all the static, a voice of true feeling arises - a rare event!" I agree. Listen to this beautiful song, "Unspoken," from NEeMA's CD, Watching You Think.

Unspoken

NEeMA has a Facebook page where you can preview the first single from the new CD, "Escape." NEeMA will also be on tour. Here is a list of her upcoming dates:

June 30 Toronto, ON - Supermarket Club
July 2 Toronto, ON - Hugh’s Room
July 3 Ottawa, ON - Ottawa Jazz Festival (NAC Fourth Stage)
July 4 Montreal, QC - Montreal Jazz Festival (MAC)
July 6 Winnipeg, MB - West End Cultural Centre
July 8 Calgary, AB - The Marquee Room
July 9 Edmonton, AB - Haven Social Club
July 12 Vancouver, BC - Media Club
July 14 Victoria, BC - St Ann's Academy
July 25 Guelph, ON - Hillside Festival
July 27 Toronto, ON - The Dakota Tavern
July 28 Ottawa, ON - Zaphod Beebelbrox
July 29 Montreal, QC - La Sala Rossa
second week of August - Maritimes...details coming soon!

You can get many more details about NEeMA and her work on her website. Her CD is available from Amazon.ca.

UPDATE: The Toronto Globe and Mail gave a wonderful review of NEeMA's CD saying:

A gifted wordsmith, this native Montrealer knows how to take songs about falling in love – No. 1 on the pop-cliché parade – and make them feel every bit as special as falling feels to young lovers.

Thanks to Nadine for sharing her beautiful music and story with us.

(The beautiful photo of NEeMA was taken by Lorca Cohen.)