Annie Bonsignore’s self produced debut album, Shades of Red is a
collection of 11 original songs that tell deep and up-close stories of love, loss, fear and hope. This multi-talented singer, songwriter, pianist, performer, arranger and vocal coach was born into an incredibly musical family. Annie could sing before she could talk and
she started composing music at the age of nine and singing professionally at the age of 12. The South African native grew up on stage, exploring everything from Mozart to musical theatre and
country. At 23 she was driven to leave home, her heart set on promising possibilities in the great white north. Once set up in Canada and awaiting her citizenship status, Annie turned her home office into a recording studio, where many of these songs came to
life.
Shades of Red is a rare gem of a recording, sounding entirely fresh
yet somehow familiar upon the very first listen. With a style that
sits somewhere between Chantal Kreviazuk and Sarah Brightman, Annie
Bonsignore crosses over seamlessly from infectious pop to effortless
opera. From the instantly inviting “Best of Me” to the ethereal reverie that is the title track, Shades of Red takes the listener on a rewarding journey of emotional depth. It is not surprising that a few of these songs were inspired by a spiritual awakening:
“I felt very much like I had entered a twilight zone where I literally
thought that I might be dying, or as if everyone else might be. Yet, I was just waking up. I had reached a place of such loneliness that I felt like my soul had drowned.
She's a Rare GEM.
I'd Say!
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I was floating through life, always
holding on tightly to the past, and then I would write about it, which
would keep me stuck in the past. Through meditation, music and healing
I have been learning to let go…I had denied God when I was 14 years
old, after the loss of a brother, for the third time. I had been living in my parents’ shadow of loss my entire life and finally, it felt like my life just didn't make sense anymore. I was desperate to feel again, to believe in something.”
Annie’s music, whether heard on record on live in person, can best be
described as inspirational, and each audience member means a great
deal to Annie “I have come to realize that we create so much with our
thoughts and actions and reactions. I am tapping into some divinely
inspired music now, based on love, hope and presence. I want to help
people with my music, to inspire them to feel, to poke at the deepest
part of one’s soul. That's what it's all about, feeling and
experience.”
Shades of Red showcases Annie’s angelic voice and her superb skills as
a songwriter; upon release it received an outstanding assessment by
the Songwriters Association of Canada. She is accompanied only by piano and violin, with minimalist traces of guitar, percussion and strings. Featured musicians include violinists Amanda Goodburn and Blaise Alleyne, guitarists Maggie Mclean and Derek Evernden.
Bonsignore composed, arranged and performed all piano parts and vocal
harmonies on the album.
By Ori Dagan/A. Bonsignore