Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2014 | Page 43

Edana's special tribute
to her late brother...
By Peter White

J

azz singer Edana Minghella has
revealed how she has developed her
passion for music as a tribute to her
late brother Anthony Minghella,
the world renowned film director who
tragically died in 2008.
Edana’s CD, ‘Still On My Feet’ features
songs from two of the widely-acclaimed
films Anthony directed before he passed
away, aged 54. ‘A Case of You’, was in Truly
Madly Deeply, and ‘You Don't Know What
Love Is’ featured in The Talented Mr Ripley.
Edana, who was born and raised on the
Island, but now lives in Brighton, said: “I
produced my first CD partly to acknowledge
how much Anthony meant to me and how
much he influenced my singing and my
music, so I dedicated the album to him.
“He was my big brother and influenced
me, in not just music, but all sorts of things.
We would often play together at the piano,
and he was very much an influence. When
Anthony died it hit us all. There are no
words to describe it and the grief doesn’t
go away. But it has maybe freed up some
emotion that has gone into my music. I have
had some very difficult life experiences in
recent years, but they have influenced how I

write and sing, possibly for the better.”
Edana admits that although she played
the piano from an early age, and often sang
at family gatherings when her mother
played the accordion, it was less than 10
years ago that she decided she wanted to
do the creative things that mattered to her.
Before that she trained in the mental
healthcare profession, gained a doctorate
in Mental Health Service Research at
Middlesex University and remains a
passionate advocate of raising awareness of
dementia.
She and her other brother Dominic also
co-wrote the first series of the popular TV
series Doc Martin, but now singing is one
of her biggest passions. She has performed
extensively on the mainland and Italy as
well as occasionally on the Island.
Edana returns here on March 16 for ‘An
Evening with the Edana Minghella Trio’, at
the Seaview Hotel, featuring Mick Smith on
piano and Pete Maxfield on bass. She said:
“Music has always been an important part
of my family life, and we all love it. It is up
there as one of the most important parts of
my life. Anthony’s first love was music, and
he was a musician – once he almost ran off
to pursue a career with the Island band he
was in, called Dancer.”

Also inspired by the likes of Nina Simone
and Billie Holiday, Edana added: “I am
a very emotional singer, and I think that
comes across to the audience. There is
something about sharing that emotion and
touching people’s hearts; nothing beats
that feeling.” And she is hoping to release a
second CD later this year.
*An evening with the Edana Minghella
Trio, and four-course Italian inspired
dinner at the Seaview Hotel on March
15 - £65 per person, stay overnight for
£60 per person. For more details call
01983-612711.