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This Saturday, August 17th, if you are lucky enough to live in New York and can get to the East River Park for Summerstage 2013 you will be treated to passionate and wonderful multi-media concert and dance piece inspired by the songs of Marla Mase. Marla Mase’s 2013 album “SPEAK” feeds your soul and your senses as you are treated to live music, spoken word, dance and visual imagery. This event takes place at The East River Park on August 17th and is FREE to the public! You can get more information here.

Marla’s music and writings are so in depth and challenge all of us to be more peaceful and to bare our souls as we learn to love ourselves and others. Marla broke into music in her 40’s after dealing with several challenges and obstacles. As Marla describes, it was a “Break up. Break down. Break through.” In addition, she was awarded the “Messenger of Peace” award from Friends of the UN. Her punk/rock n roll, soul inspired music and style remind me of a cross between Patti Smith and Chrissy Hynde with some Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell fused in there. I truly love her music and when I listen, I can’t help but get inspired, empowered and just feel harmony in my life. I hope you get a chance to listen to her. Take a listen and watch her video here for “Piece of Peace”

We had a chance to talk with Marla and are pleased to share our interview with you here:

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Music Junkie Press: Marla, Thank you for taking the time to talk with us here at Music Junkie Press. We are excited to tell everyone about your Summerstage Appearance in August. Can you tell us more about it?

Marla: Sure, SPEAK, is a multi-media performance concert based on the music of my album SPEAK DELUXE. It explores the themes of confinement, freedom, oppression, body image, sexuality through the movements, voices, bodies of women. It features 7 dancers, 4 actresses, video projections, and of course the Tomás Doncker Band. It is a big show and I’m very grateful to have been given the opportunity to develop this show for Summerstage. After that I have plans to bring it over to Europe. I already have choreographers over in Holland and Germany ready to take it on and add their voice to the themes being explored in the songs. My goal for this show is to have it travel — a global concert/theatrical quilt of sorts, where female artists (painters, sculptors, filmmakers, dancers, actresses, choreographers) from all over the world will get a chance to SPEAK out on these themes. That way it becomes much bigger than me and is truly about all of us.

Music Junkie Press: You have challenged us to all be caring and peaceful as well as inspire us. Who would you say is your biggest inspiration in your life?

Marla: My parents. My parents have been nothing but unconditional in their support for me and they gave me the greatest gift of all – LOVE. Starting out with a base –knowing that I am loved and cared for has given me the courage to live my life, to believe in myself, and to believe that I am worth something. Unfortunately, so many people are not given this base. More specifically, my father’s optimism, teaching me to believe that ‘every decision is the right decision’ , that ‘I’ve gone about as far as I can go’ (when it came to studying or knowing that it was time to leave something behind and start anew, to let go and know I’ve done everything I could about a situation), his love of people and sincere interest in them, their lives, their thoughts — plus he is brilliant. My mom, on the other hand, taught me just by who she is, that to be different, unique, quirky is a gift and a blessing. She tries so hard to be ‘normal’, whatever that is and she is not. She is this beautiful woman who defies explanations and convention without even knowing she does. She is also very talented – a songwriter, a singer, a humorist — when I was little my favorite times was when she pulled out the guitar and sang to me. Loved that.

Music Junkie Press: Those are some beautiful memories! How old were you when you started performing? Can you remember what was your first performance?

Marla: Yes, I sang ‘Where is Love?” from the musical Oliver at a talent show at a beach club I belonged to when I was 4. I lost. I didn’t start seriously performing until I was in my 30’s. I was always very shy and stayed away from it (other than taking up the dance floor at discos in Brooklyn in my teens) – when I was 26 I took my first acting class. And fell in love with it. Then when I was 33 I took a “Writing the One Woman Show” class and let’s just say, the rest is history. People have always assumed I’ve been performing forever after they have seen me perform. HAH!

Music Junkie Press: You truly are a natural! Your music has such a blend of everything, I can tell you are a true lover of all music. What artist would you say was the most influential for you?

Marla: Kafka, Theodore Dreiser, Milan Kundera, Isabel Allende, Martin McDonagh (the Pillowman is one of the most beautifully written plays I’ve ever heard) to name a few. I know it’s odd to name literary influences but the truth is that’s where I get my musicality from — all those words I’ve read over the years, a symphony — a truly great writer knows it’s about the rhythm of the words, even more than the content.

Music Junkie Press: That is so true. With “Speak Deluxe” you truly open yourself to us and it is so emotionally driven and passionate! Will you be doing more touring for it?

Marla: Absolutely. I’ll be performing at the MEOW Conference in Austin TX in October, and have been in the preliminary stages of touring (the duo version of it- me and Tomás Doncker) in Holland, Germany, Poland, Mexico and Spain. Plus as I mentioned before, turning the SPEAK show, into a global project. I’ll also be performing at The Blue Note in NYC for the launch of Tomás Doncker’s True Groove Label (I am their flagship artist-along with Tomás Doncker Band, Kevin Jenkins and Lael Summer.)

Music Junkie Press: That is exciiting and so glad you are taking “SPEAK” globally! If you could share three things about you Marla that we might not have known, what would they be?

Marla: I am a rule follower and hate confrontation.Shopping terrifies me.Love corny musicals — one of the few things that makes me cry.

Music Junkie Press: Lastly, is there anything else you would like to share with our audience?

Marla: Yes, I’ll be back in the studio by the end of the month recording my next record. This is the first I’ve spoken about it publicly so I guess it’s official.

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I am excited about Marla’s next record! I hope you all get a chance to listen to her and also take the time to be the change that you want to see in the world. Together we all can be the Piece to Peace.

~ Enjoy, Marisol

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