Ranee Lee ” It’s like being an ambassador of the heart”
RANEE LEE IS A WELL KNOWN JAZZ SINGER IN CANADA AND AROUND THE WORLD, SHE WILL BE PERFORMING AT THE INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL IN PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI FROM 17TH THROUGH THE 24TH OF JANUARY 2015. ELINE MAGAZINE IS PROUD TO PRESENT THAT WONDERFUL WOMAN TO OUR READERS FROM EVERYWHERE.
Ranee Lee: ” First I would like to say how wonderfully pleased we are to be invited to come to Haiti and perform in it’s 9th annual International Jazz Festival. Part of the reason for pursuing a career in music is in the reaching out to as many audiences around the world through the magic of music. It’s like being ambassadors of the heart. There are no boundaries, and music is the soul purpose. I have traveled to many parts of the world for just this reason for over thirty years.
And my own country of Canada awarded me the highest medal of honor a civilian can receive “The order of Canada” for bringing jazz to parts of the world in recognition of our own contributions as Canadian jazz artistes, and now we have the privilege to perform in your country to a new audience that we are anxiously waiting to embrace. I have stopped counting the decades that I have been a professional vocal jazz musician, but I would venture to guess it ranges in about the fifty years mark. I and my husband Richard Ring who is also my guitarist and musical director have collaborated on many projects together, especially the 12 or so recordings that we have released through the tremendous support of my record label “Justin Time Records” and with whom I have recorded for over twenty five years all of our recordings. Much of the labels ambitious endeavor has helped to bring achievement and recognition to the longevity of my career.
I have received many awards for these recordings, as well as awarded acknowledgement for my passion for the arts as an actor and educator ( with McGill University here in Montreal, for over twenty five years) also other University institutions. I am the author of children’s books, one published and one soon to be, and as a playwright of a successful presentation of “Dark Divas” inspired by seven great woman of Jazz, that I created, directed and performed in. When it comes to present our music in Haiti I will be accompanied by five excellent instrumentalists who are artists in their own right. It is always a pleasurable experience to share the stage with these extraordinarily brilliant musicians. Their contribution to the common goal of performing to the highest degree is always achieved. They are Taurey Butler, our pianist, Dave Watts, our bassist, Dave Laing, our drummer, and Richard Ring, our guitarist. The repertoire and arrangements that we will chose and perform will be from any of my recordings. There will be a variety of styles from ballades to blues, to funky flavors, and original songs that I have written and recorded. We are all truly happy for this occasion to perform for the Haitian public, and bring with us the joy of what music does to the soul, and we wish to extend our gratitude for this opportunity to the governments, and festival organizers, and to the people who we know as a warm and accepting people. Living in Montreal Quebec where my musicians and I all live, there is a familiar vibe of the Haitian culture, and we look forward to feeling and witnessing the country’s welcome, first hand. Thank you for your kind words and interest Eline, and we hope to meet you when we arrive at the Festival International Jazz Port-Au-Prince, in the new year. It will be a beautiful beginning.”
Ranee Lee
