There are few artists who can capture the listener from the first moment but Marcomé [pronounced Mar-ko-may] is one of them. Marcome’s music often defies description as she has created something unique, blending her layered voices with New World beat, Latin, African, Middle- and Far-Eastern beats, jazz, Arabic rhythms and soul music.
New Age Word Painting by Marcomé
Many of Marcome’s songs like "Arabica," "River of Life" and "Nostrie Tiempo" are inspired by the sounds of different world regions. In the musical tradition of word painting, Marcomé blends those lyrics with her own, wordless language; the result being a soothing and ethereal musical tapestry that fits well into the recent rediscovery of New Age music worldwide.
The singer explains her style of working: “My way of working … is to do the melody and the singing all framed up and then to put the lyrics in. … Most composers will create their music according to the lyrics; I work the other way around most of the time.” Marcome’s music seems to hit a nerve with music lovers who turn toward uplifting, spiritual music as a companion to guide them gently through their hectic everyday lives.
Marcome’s Songs and Albums
Marcomé‘s debut album Seven Seas was released in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East in 1995 and was remixed in 2006. The best known single “Yeku” broke into Québec’s Top 50 radio airplay charts. At over 16 minutes, "Nostrie Tiempo" from the 2008-album River of Soul is Marcome’s longest song to date, yet multi-faceted with many themes guided by an exotic violin lead.
On her website, Marcomé describes what listeners will find in her music: “Besides layered voices, my music mainly incorporates dreamy keyboards, fretless bass, jazzy guitar riffs, and traditional world beat percussions.” Here’s an overview of Marcome’s albums to date:
- Twitter Me Some Love (single, 2010)
- River of Soul (2008)
- Arabica Remixed (2008)
- River of Life Remixed (2008)
- Seven Seas Remastered (2006)
Marcomé’s Background
Listeners of Marcomé’s music often wonder why the sound of her music has been so crisp and clear right from the first album. The Canadian singer and songwriter studied commerce and communications and after a brief stint in theatre – both in music composition and sound creation – was a sound engineer for many years. Today, she produces, arranges and engineers all her music, a real advantage in a tough profession.
On top of that, Marcomé is also a keyboardist, programmer and percussionist who has collaborated with many renowned artists like Diana Krall, Cecila Bartoli, Le Cirque du Soleil, Branford Marsalis, Sir George Martin, Tom Waits, Daniel Lanois, Pat Metheny and Yes. In a recent interview with Suite101.com, the singer disclosed more details about her background and future projects.
There’s good news for readers who would like to sample Marcome’s music: her website lets visitors discover tracks from any of her albums and she also maintains a blog where readers can learn more about this versatile singer. In addition, she has just released the Twitter Song, her ode to social networking.
Readers interested in this article may also like to read What Is World Music, Gregorian Chants in Pop Music or Best Bollywood Dance Songs.
Simone Preuss - Simone is a freelance writer, editor and translator who decided to go solo after a successful career in publishing. That was more than ...
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