Armed with great songs and a wonderful voice, Ilene Barnes steps out in this musical world . Born in Detroit USA, spending her childhood in Surinam, Barbados and Jamaica, she comes out of a quite unconventional Afro-American family with native American, East Indian and Irish roots. Her father was a tropical disease researcher for the WHO and travelled with the family through the Caribbean and South America. She began to play guitar in Barbados and decided at the age of ten to live later as a writer in Paris. She studied drama at the Smith College in Boston taking classes with Len Berkman and Jerzy Grotowsky before moving to Europe in 1990.
Living between London, Paris and now the USA she started touring in Europe as a singer-songwriter with her first album SET YOU FREE released in 2000. The 2nd album TIME, released three years later is a very good representation of her personal style. Her amazingly strong and fragile voice reminds us of Nina Simone, Joan Armatrading and Tracy Chapman. Her lyrics are very personal stories, talking of the depth of human fears and the human concerns of yesterday and today. Her Third album YESTERDAY COMES was produced by Jimmy Hoyson who worked previously with Ben Harper and Green Day.
After a live album LIVE AT FIP a French radio special, Ilene Barnes entered the studios with Ian Caple (Tindersticks, JJ 72, Tricky, Yann Tiersen, and Alain Bashung among others). HERE'S TO YOU, Ilene Barnes' new album was released on march 2009, followed by an intensive tour. This will confirm that she is one of the most influential artists on the European scene today. As since 2004, Ilene Barnes played on numerous important festivals such as the Paleo (Switzerland), Eurosonic, Parkpop (Holland), Arezzo Wave (Italy), Mercas de Musicas de Vic (Spain), and more than 25 dates in Germany, opening for acts such as Eric Burdon & the Animals. But France being a temporary home, Ilene Barnes hit a tour of more than 15 important French festivals and played more than 400 sold out concerts between 2003 & 2008, ending with a three weeks sold out concerts at L'Européen venue in Paris (feb. & march 2008). Now, her new tour supporting the album HERE'S TO YOU will kick out at the Alhambra venue in Paris on April 7th 2009.
Salut,
Ben, je viens t'informer que mon myspace a été rafraîchi, donc viens découvrir, le nouveau design, les nouvelles photographies et la nouvelle rubrique news.
Keep in touch. God Loves U
Jessica Dorsey
Ilene Barnes how are ya, jus sharing sum thoughts with ya, keep shining LoVe
Caught up in LoVe, Not the rapid spin of the Earth Busy times continue but Love for all has a priceless worth Things out of our control, nature, people’s thoughts and more Love is all that is needed among earth for not one to be poor. OneLove always……. Peace & Light
Hello ! merci d'avoir accepté l'invit. Sous le charme de ta voix jeudi dernier à Montargis, un p'tit passage par ici pour découvrir un peu plus ton univers. Pitêtre à bientôt ! biz
In Lunéville, Ilene kindly agreed to be featured in a photo with my wife Monique and me. Antoine took the picture. At last, they'll see it! And thanks again!
What an amazing concert you gave at the Highlandsfestival in Holland! Thank you for trusting me. I hope it has been a good experience .. If our paths cross again I hope we can exchange more information. I'm very curious at your 'special' shop in Paris, and I will let you know if I have to go there..
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