Joan Enguita
Los Angeles, CA | Established. Jan 01, 2007 | INDIE
Music
Press
Clean, soulful, lilting soprano backed by deft guitar work, engaging lyrics and artful melodies--was this "Ladies of the Canyon" or "Colors of the Day"? Nope; my CD player was spinning Joan Enguita's new release "Two Suitcases," a hearty helping of Americana served up by the heart and talents of this remarkable performer. Enguita offers ten original tunes, offering cultural insights (the title track "Two Suitcases," "Walks a Mile in My Shoes," "America") and of course, focusing on relationships. "I Want to Hear it From You" is a sweet, singalong crowd please; the haunting "Heading for Shore" and "You Flew" are in the masterful class of some of the best songwriting I've ever heard. With some of the best backup musicanship and production Nashvhille has to offer, and her ability to connect with the audience whether live or via recording, Enguita has created a sure winner in "Two Suitcases."
I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 because Amazon gives no option for half-stars and I want to leave room for the perfection that will be Enguita's next recording. - amazon.com Scothia review May 22, 2005
JOAN ENGUITA
"Two Suitcases"
Genre: folk
Reviewed by Annette Warner
Songbird Joan Enguita quite possibly has one of the most beautifully trained and pleasant voices I have ever heard. I have goose bumps and I haven't even moved on to track 2 yet. Trust me, if I have those little epidermus erections...I'm hearing something that stands above most of the declared best.
Folky, with a twist of operatic pipeage links her from Joan Baez to Sandi Patty to Celine Dion and countless others in a mere measure. She brings out most of the uniqueness in her voice during the chorus of the first track tune "I Need To Hear It From You" and "Walk a Mile in My Shoes." The songs are tasteful, innocent and interesting throughout. I will definitely keep this one out for future listens when I feel like coming down off the mountain for some heart stew...and I'll keep one eye cocked for the sure success watch of Joan :) Good Job!
HOT PICKS: "I Need to Hear It From You" and "Walk a Mile in My Shoes"
Contact Info:
Joan Enguita, Lancaster, CA
http://www.joanenguita.com
- GoGirlsmusic.com
Joan Enguita's country-twang vocals can't be denied a presence regardless of the level of volume of your speakers. Her voice breaks through the fog and shakes your body from toe to head. Her music is Americana with country-rock's upbeat swagger. The tales told through "Two Suitcases" are personal reflections and yarns that wiggle while they're spun with an intimate appearance of emotion rarely sought out in country, rock or Americana.
Reviewer: J-Sin - Reviewer: J-Sin
A NEW KIND OF SONGBIRD
For Joan Enguita, songbird extraordinaire
Her voice is crisp and clean--
notes with defined edges
and round tones
pour from her throat
as effortlessly as breath
She lifts her face
and her mouth opens
emitting true melody
pure and sleek as fresh new silk
It revolves around her
gaining strenth as it circles
and then--
heads your way
until it CAPTURES you
taking YOU where She is going
She does not stand--
tiny toes curled round small branches
fighting the winds to remain singing
--she stands instead
upon the stage
and the lightning that accompanies her
does not peal from the skies
but from her fingers
(entwined by talent
as though PART OF
the strings of her guitar)
She sings--
and the notes reverberate
up through all paths
until they reach your top
and flutter your leaves
shaking loose the remains of your day
cleaning your thoughts
calming your soul
with their perfect melody--
healing you
ever so slightly MORE
with EACH note. - submitted by the poet
With her bags packed and ready for the next journey, Joan Enguita opens "Two Suitcases" with sudden ease. The first few notes that belt out of Joan's mouth are the hook, line and sinker that is destined to capture listeners everywhere. The opening song is playfully flirty and fun as Joan dances with the lyrics in a one on one showdown of authority. Joan's stunning vocals is the selling point that will have you thanking the heavens above for producing such an angelic sound. "Two Suitcases" is hard to close; it's jammed pack full of a folk sound, united in harmony with country and Celtic. From start to finish, Joan holds the audience's attention with one of the most versatile voices around, giving them the performance they so rightfully deserve.
CHT Pick: "I Need To Hear It From You" Reviewed by Heather Corcoran
Artist website: www.joanenguita.com
- Heather Corcoran
Joan Enguita has put together a solid recording with TWO SUITCASES. Her beautiful falsetto voice is reminiscent of women vocalists that have made their mark such as Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell. Strange enough, after I had this thought I went to her website and started to read her bio and found that she got her start with a guitar and a Joan Baez songbook!
With a strong stable of veterans from Nashville, Enguita puts together a solid recording; in fact, I did not hear a track that had any weaknesses. Everything about this release is top shelf, grade A material.
From the lyrics, production, and musicanship to overall product that you hear coming out of your speakers, Enguita nails it down-she owns every word vocalized. This is traditional music in the sense that it does not have that aimed-for-the-charts gloss and fabricated sheen, this woman sings all the way from her toes to her heart on every song. You will hear everything from the dobro to the Jew's Harp interspersed amongst the tracks. I heard a lot on this CD besides the oustanding music and terrific vocals. The lyrics were exceptionally warm and heartfelt.
I can appreciate originality and an honest to goodness effort by an indie artist, and a smart one at that, Enguita had the record mastered by Capitol, which explains why the sound is so crisp and clean. This is as good as any country-pop that you are hearing on the radio any given day now. Actually it is better than a lot of the music that is raking in the cash by the truckload. I say no more, check it out for yourself. You will see.
Keith "Muzik-Man" Hannaleck - www.muzikreviews.com
In this article Joan Enguita discusses her publicity practices, her women's CD project to raise awareness about domestic abuse, and how she makes the most of music conferences.
www.theinsideconnection.com - Anne Leighton
CD Review:
When first listening to Joan Enguita's CD, I was already taken away by Joan's voice. The California-based singer captivates you with her clear and powerful singing. Her music is hand-made and real country. Some songs sound modern, such as "Kiss Me Awake". Others like, "I Need To Hear It From You" absolutely traditional. "America" has a good drive and a lot of power. In "Two Suitcases" the harmonica triggers a longing for Ireland. There, in Ireland, Joan just completed a very successful tour. Wonderful, catchy, lively music. Always country, every note a delight. www.joanenguita.com
Kai Ulatowski, Translation by Michael Schultheiss, Palling, Germany - , November 2005 issue
I had no idea of the surprise that awaited me after buying this CD at one of her shows. I recall hearing Joan perform with just an acoustic guitar and I liked her songs enough to buy her CD. What I didn't expect was the wonderful instrumentation I heard when I put the disc in my stereo. Right from the start Joan had me tapping my toes and singing along with her fun upbeat songs. Her ballads draw you to the lyric because the words are sung from a voice that delivers such a unique emotion. From song to song Joan has a way of touching your heart or breaking it the next. I usually find it risky buying independent records because they're never recorded very well, but "Two Suitcases" surpasses the usual expectatons from an Independent Artist. The quality and production of this CD is very good. It's obvious Joan enlisted real creative professionals to produce such a wonderful collection of songs. If you like independent artists, this one is A++. - Amazon.com Tom Cayler review August 3, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Rhonda Kelley, Rainmaker Publicity
Phone: 617-889-4122
Email: RKelly283@aol.com
JOAN ENGUITA RETURNS WITH "TWO SUITCASES"
Joan Enguita and her acoustic Martin guitar. That's all it takes. Powered by only her voice and her stringed instrument, Joan is able to create some of the warmest and most inviting music you have ever heard. Her first album, KISS ME AWAKE, proved this again and again, standing out as a remarkable example of what one person can do when they strip things down and just let the music do the talking.
"I think of songs as tea bags," says the Lancaster, California-based artist. "They have to be in the water a certain length of time before they're ready."
Joan's sophomore album, TWO SUITCASES, serves a further evidence of the care with which she crafts each one of her songs, only this time she brought along some friends. For TWO SUITCASES, Joan invited a few renowned Nashville musicians to help flesh out her heartfelt tunes of folky Americana. But don't worry, the beautiful subtlety for which Joan is known is still here for all to hear. The album's guests contribute layers of traditional instruments like the dobro and accordion, but they also know precisely when to step forward and when to step back. The new layers are stacked tastefully upon each other, and Joan's delicate songs seem a little bit stronger as a result.
Joan has always been surrounded by music. With her mother a classically trained singer, and her father a clarinet player for twenty-seven years in the Air Force band, Joan first showed her gift for song as a teenager living in Spain, gathering around songbooks and guitars with her friends. She taught herself to play brother's guitar and later developed her intricate finger-picking style during classical studies at college in Minnesota. And you can't talk about Joan Enguita without mentioning her voice. A warm and engulfing instrument of its own, Joan uses her voice to sing songs that come straight from the heart, songs that virtually anyone can relate to and appreciate.
"Influenced by Joni Mitchell and with a voice often compared to Joan Baez, Joan delivers beautiful original songs."--GoGirlsMusic.com
"Joan Enguita left the audience a quiverying mass of jelly..." SongsAlive.Org Los Angeles Showcase performance review
Joan Enguita's new album, TWO SUITCASES, is currently available at Amazon.com and at her website, www.joanenguita.com. To request an interview with Joan, please contact Rainmaker Publicity.
- National Publicist Rainmaker Publicity
Discography
CD's AVAILABLE AT www.cdbaby.com/cd/joanenguita
www.cdbaby.com/cd/womenonthemove
--2014 will see the Red Coyote Records release of a new solo CD as well as an acoustic trio album by the Women on the Move Trio.
BEAUTIFUL--Joan's latest release was recorded Nashville Tracks in L.A. It includes songs recorded by 14 indie southern California artists. CD baby is so taken with the CD that they featured it on their home page soon after its release. Read their review at the site above. They listed it for over two years at their Editor's Pick in Adult Contemporary/Easy Listening.
TWO SUITCASES--Joan's fully produced 2005 CD released on her independent label, RED COYOTE RECORDS. Songs may be heard here on sonicbids...just click on audio.
KISS ME AWAKE Joan's self-produced vocal/guitar album. Released in 2004.
Oasis Acoustic, Vol VI, Double CD includes Joan's song, "I Need to Hear it From You" on the first CD, Track 7. Distributed by Oasis CD manufacturing.
Her song, "Where's the Time Gone?" is featured on the True Talent Management compilation CD. www.truetalentmgmt.com
SCHOCK FUTURES--Hollywood songwriting legend Harrriet Schock chose Joan's song TWO SUITCASES for her 2004 CD compilation of tomorrows' top songwriters.
FEMALES ON FIRE--Joan's song, HEADING FOR SHORE is included on this compilation CD released in August, 2005 by Warrior Girl Music.
--2014 will see the Red Coyote Records release of a new solo CD as well as an acoustic trio album by the Women on the Move Trio.
Photos
Bio
by Dan Kimpel of Music Connection Magazine
It begins with a magical voice, warm enough to melt a glacier. The voice is connected to the soul of Joan Enguita, an accomplished singer/songwriter who distills her life's experiences into melodies and lyrics in the modern folk tradition. "I think of songs as tea bags," she explains. "They have to be in the water a certain length of time before they're ready."
Judging by her outpouring of material, it's tea time. The Lancaster, California-based artist has two CDs. The first, Kiss Me Awake, is a suite of songs recorded acoustically as an expressive tableaux of guitar and vocals. Her second outing, Two Suitcases, released in 2005, features a studio of respected Nashville musicians tastefully accompanying Joan with dobro, accordian and traditional instruments.
Joan's mother was a classically trained singer. Her father played clarinet in the Air Force band for 27 years. As a child of a military family, relocation was a key component of life. Her immersion in music began during her early teen years in Spain as she and her friends gathered around songbooks with guitars. She taught herself to play on her brother's instrument, albeit without his permission. "As soon as I'd hear him go down the stairs, I'd go in his room and grab his guitar and his Joan Baez songbook that had chord charts," she reveals. Her intricate finger-picking style was learned in classical studies during her college years in Minnesota.
Time spent behind bars--not as an inmate but as a visiting prison performer--has had a profound impact on Joan. "You walk through many slamming doors," she notes. "But the inmates who choose to come to those concerts are so grateful because they have very little outside contact. It's a slap of reality." Other less fettered performances include a showcase at The Folk Alliance, coffeehouses and listening rooms throughout Southern California, Desert Song Music Festival, a Borders Books and Music tour, Kulak's Woodshed and an appearance on the 2004 Emmy Award-winning series, Street Music L.A.
With the release of her two CDs, Joan tours the west coast regularly and has performed in Denmark, Ireland and Germany. Meanwhile, in addition to concert and festival appearances, Joan donates her performances to community, prison and charity groups, while she expands her burgeoning catalog of songs. "Songwriters are the eyes and ears of the world," she notes.
Joan Enguita's music, like her life, has followed a path illuminated by faith, compassion and honesty. "Growing up, I had a lot of time to think," Joan says. "I have so many memories, because I moved so much. Much of my life is memory, not in the here and now, because many of those people aren't around me anymore." But the songs remember. And as they tell stories of the roads taken, her exquisite voice is a silver thread connecting all of the destinations right back to her heart.
“It’s not often we find an exquisite folk singer who can really write songs about life, her life, that truly move us. Joan Enguita is one of those." --Harriet Schock. songwriting teacher and Platinum Songwriter.
--Joan's trio took First Place in Vocal Competition: Topanga Banjo & Fiddle Contest and Folk Festival.
--Featured in a one hour performance/interview with Roz Larmann of KCRW's syndicated FolkScene show.
--One hour performance/interview with Tom May on River City Folk, nationally syndicated radio program.
--$2500 awarded as runner up in MUSIC FROM HOME singer songwriter contest sponsored by SunCal.
--SPOTLIGHT ARTIST OF THE WEEK, SONICBIDS
--SPOTLIGHT ARTIST OF THE MONTH for Los Angeles Women in Music
--BEST OF THE YEAR SHOW -2006--Radio Host Larry Wines
2010 Performance of her 15 Minute Musical, "Green Thumb" at the Colony Theatre in Burbank. Lyrics by Joan Enguita and Karrie Vach, Bookwriter-Joan Enguita, Music Nancy Friedman.
2011 Reading of her full length musical adaptation, "Peter Ibbetsen," at The Academy for New Musical Theatre in North Hollywood, CA. Lyrics by Joan Enguita and Karrie Vach, Book by Joan Enguita, Music by Bonnie Janofsky.
2012 Performance of her one act play, "By The Way," at the Antelope Valley College One Act Festival in Lancaster, CA
UPDATE: Joan survived a terrible car accident that occurred in May of 2014. She has recovered her voice and is performing again. In addition she is developing several new musical theatre ideas. She also performs with the group WOMEN ON THE MOVE TRIO. She is also developing a CD of Bible based songs.
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