One of the most versatile voices of our time, her voice has an inspiring range and tons of soul and personality: Soulful Kara Johnstad warms the heart with her recipe of fantasically crafted and honed t texts with beautiful melodies. A singer / songwriter:she writes great, compelling songs and performs them with her band. When you start out with a great song, you don?t need to spin it or have a gimmick. Kara Johnstad is one of those artists.She?s ?the real deal.
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Kara Johnstad is a professional singer, lyricist, composer living and working in Berlin; born in St. Louis, Missouri / USA. Her current CD project are entitled ?Paths X? 13 original titles. A studio CD a fascinating mix of Jazz / Folk and Acoustic Pop.
newest collaboration project over at Kite Tailor.
HISTORY:
1986 She established together with the Brazilian composer and guitar player Roberto Pereira a well-received Duo.
1989 RCA released world-wide the first album / CD BETO & KARA ?Crystal Flakes? which was followed by numerous radio and television performances.
1992 CD ?Rise in Love?, European release through Ariola. Under contract Kara Johnstad continued to perform concerts, compose and write new material. After 6 years under contract with a record company and many exquisite compostions / lyrics together with Roberto Pereira kept more or less on the shelves, she decided to consciously walk the path of an independent musician. A decision which she has consciously chosen and makes her excited to work every day.
1993 she formed an excellent band with internationally renowned musicians which played to full houses in Germany.
1997 Kara produced and released her solo CD ?Pages of Sand?. ?Pages of Sand? is great album recorded at the A-trane Jazz Club in Berlin. There are many fascinating titles. ?Melody? is a samba dedicated to the Sufis. ?Smoked out Blues? , is a very moving jazz ballad about a woman being handed the divorce papers, the lyrics to ?Song of India? were writen while Kara was travelling though India, and ?Ocean? and ?Pages of Sand? are both Biaos the later written together with her bass player Guilherme Castro (BRAZIL) , Kara?s cancerian side comes out in ?Full Moon? a sweet bossa nova for anyone who feels drawn to sleeping under the stars while the moon is full. Two of the biggest ballads or on the CD, are ?Winter has Come?, Kara?s first composition and ?Where is It Written?, a mega ballad by the wonderful composer Michel Legrand / lyrics Alan and Marilyn Bergmann. This has become Kara?s theme song at all of her concerts, and many people travel from London and Paris to Berlin far to hear her rendition.
1998-2005 The next years were a time of great change.personally and professionally. Kara travelled to Malaysia / Portugal/ Italy/Spain and the United States to do studio work and give concerts. She became a mother and continued to perform and handles all her own management. At some point due to trying to
coordinate so many people?s time schedules she decided to produced her next record with a a very small team of people in a private studio instead of her previous band sound / recording live. This gave her the freedom to experiment with new sounds (strings / clarinet/ trumpet/and guitar. The result is her new CD PATHS X.
2006 CD Paths X is released . An album which showcases her talents as a songwriter.
On ?Pages of Sand? she was the lyricist and collaborated with other fine composers but here Kara shows a very fragile and intimate side. PATHS X is extremely personal.
?Beloved? is a jazz ballad about climbing out of the tub and climbing into bed.
?Different Planes? was written driving along the highway between Indiana and Chicago.
?With You? is a very intimate love song about falling in love and having the other person tell you that they are gay.
?Seems Natural? is a tantric affair.
The single track ?Thank You? has become within 3 weeks on the internet #1 at Artist Launch and #4 at American Idol Underground. Pop genre.
The track ?Hurried Nights?, a smooth Jazz tune about a one night affair with a very close friend, and reached #4 on the Jazz charts at Soundclick.com and ?Carouselled? # 6 at Artist Launch Jazz Vocals and #4 at American Idol Underground.
?Open Up and Receive? and ?Different Planes? were #7 and #8 on the Spiritual Pop Charts at soundclick.
And Hurting Place #6 in Rock genre American Idol Underground.
The fascinating thing was within a few weeks the CD Paths X was in the top forty in the categories
Pop / Acoustic/ New Age / Rhythm and Blues/ Jazz and Spiritual. That is how diverse the songs are and yet through the arrangements they are all very smooth.
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