ANDREA BALENCY MAKES HER WELLINGTON DEBUT

French-Mexican singer and multi-instrumentalist Andrea Balency’s songs breathlessly defy classification. Connecting the dots between the folkloric music of Mexico and Argentina, traditional French lounge singing (Chanson), hip-hop, jazz and experimental electronica, her songs paints a whole gallery worth of sonic oil painting, representative of stories as diverse and lived as her young life.

Balency was born in Paris in the late eighties. Schooled in classical music during her childhood, at seventeen she began writing her own original songs. Having lived in (and played music in) France, Mexico and Argentina, she’s played solo, worked in combos, and even spent a two year stint in highly respected Mexican art rock band Juan Manuel Torreblanca. Along the way she recorded her first EP, and has been steadily working towards her second EP Lover, and her debut album, due for release mid 2012.

Where Balency really comes into her own though, aside from her shimmering vocals and baroque instrumentation, is her actual lyrical writing. Deeply pictorial, Balency renders emotive touching imagery of memories of the past in aural form. Whether tackling literature, emotional states, or geographic landscapes, there is a touch of magic realism to her work, recalling the wonder of literary giants Salman Rushdie and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

This Saturday night, Balency makes her first ever Wellington performance, at The Matterhorn on Cuba Street. With DJ support from Nick D and Hopepa, $5 entry after 11.30 ensures you a stellar evening of left of centre sounds, both live and direct off the wax. If you want to do any further research, you can download a free EP worth of her music by clicking here.