Schulich Alumna Releases 5th Album titled Recuerdo
Amanda Martinez (IMBA ‘99), “one of the great new voices in Spanish language Latin music” (World Music Central), recently released her highly anticipated new album, Recuerdo.
Produced by her long-time guitarist Kevin Laliberté and co-produced by her husband, bassist Drew Birston, Recuerdo is a daring departure that incorporates elements of world fusion, Cuban rhythms, and an injection of English pop that is her most adventurous album to date. It is dedicated to the memory of her late father Gustavo who taught her to savour each day, to appreciate nature and to just go for it and live life to the fullest.
“Recuerdo is a journey and my reflections of seeing my childhood and carefree times when all I had to focus on was playing and enjoying,” said Martinez. “I guess I was longing for that time of no responsibilities when I wrote some of the material when I wasn’t in a healthy headspace but wanting to force myself to keep going and writing words that would bring me hope.”
Martinez has sold out Ottawa’s National Arts Centre and Toronto’s Koerner Hall and Winter Garden Theatres. She has performed internationally including the Dubai International Jazz Festival (with Jesse Cook), at 2010’s FIFA World Cup Festivities in South Africa and the Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, and at New York City’s highly esteemed Blue Note Jazz Club.
Martinez credits her Schulich IMBA for helping her to look at her business with a critical eye -she still does a SWOT analysis of who she is in the industry and to build on her strengths and add people to her team whose strengths compliment her own.
“I feel so grateful for the friendships that I made during my time at Schulich,” she says. “My 601 final project group teammates are still some of my closest friends who come to support my shows and who I rely on to bounce off ideas. It helps that they are not in the business so I can get outside advice and ideas. I also remember my professors well who were caring, and their practical advice and feedback gave me encouragement. I feel like the Schulich Community and alumni association have been very supportive to me over the years and remember feeling honoured to perform for Schulich’s 50th.”
For current Schulich students who have an artistic flair, Martinez has the following advice: “You have an asset with your business to find ways to make your artistic endeavours sustainable, realizing that no dream is too big. However, it may require the day-to-day work that many of us shy away from. Never underestimate yourself; your creative skills bring fresh perspectives to organizations. I recently heard a quote that I love: it’s not our individual skills that help us excel but our unique combinations. It also greatly helps if you enjoy what you do, as then it never feels like work!”
Martinez is currently working on a new series called “Ingredients for a Good Life” where she will be interviewing people about the things – or rituals – they actively do in their life to bring them joy, whether that is taking time for an afternoon tea or watching the morning sunrise. Also an actor, Martinez has two movies coming out – a lead role in “Legend of Cloudy Falls” and “The Deceitful Son”.