Lea Longo
“if you can imagine it, you can create it, if you can dream it, you can become it “
William Arthur Ward’s inspirational words best describe the path in life that Lea Longo has chosen. The Canadian singer songwriter/Chantress /yogini has always taken an honest approach. Her chill, zen attitude, openness and warm personality underscore her enduring commitment to her craft. The results can be heard on her music reflected upon her life and experiences.
For “Miserably Happy”, Lea was inspired by her Hollywood adventures where she lived for 3 years writing songs and pursuing her music dreams. She commented, “Living in LA was a great learning experience, it gave me courage, inner strength, and inspired me to write great songs”. Lea’s voice is pure, smooth and soothing to the ear. Her early influences of pop and jazz have gently seeped into each song alongside her heartfelt stories of home and life experience.
An accomplished singer/songwriter, Lea has garnered world-wide attention with major film & television song placements for the movie “Cheaper By The Dozen” starring Steve Martin, the immensely popular hit television series “Dawson’s Creek”, “Party Of Five”,Fox Tv series ”North Shore”, “Felicity” DVD collections and the Tv series on WarnerBros, “Summerland.” All 4 songs selected for these shows are from ‘Miserably Happy’.
In 2004, Lea won the National Songwriting Competition at the prestigious Canadian Music Week Festival in Toronto. She was the Grand Prize winner with her song ‘Ugly’, selected from 11 finalists and thousands of entries throughout Canada.
She was also awarded the Artistic Achievement Award from Concordia Fine Arts- (the university where she attained a BA in music and jazz studies.)
Lea has been performing her entire life throughout Canada and abroad. Some of the highlights have been at the VIPER room, the Bitter End, the Mint, Place des Arts in Montreal, MGM Las Vegas and at major festival events including Bhakti Fest, The Toronto Yoga Conference, Open Mind Festival , Yocomo, Fest Yoga, Wanderlust Festival and Montreal Yoga and Chant Fest.
She has had numerous television appearances and considerable support from radio in Canada. Lea recorded and released an Italian jazz album “Buon Natale All’Italiana” featuring Italian language standards, recorded with the Bourassa Trio in Montreal. Along with Italian, Lea also sings in Spanish and French.
It is in 2006 where Lea travels to India and discovers music mantras chanting with true chanting masters. This is where Lea’s transformation happens and it is at that moment when she decides to pursue world-ambient “Yoga Chanting” to a more profound level. Moreover, upon her return, Lea decides to become a certified Kundalini Yoga instructor and teaches mantra meditation to deepen her yoga practice and musical expression.
In 2007, Lea co-produces and releases ZEN VOYAGE -an ambient music CD showcasing her soothing and velvety voice featuring 10 sacred mantras based on Sanskrit texts. Well received in the new age world, Anne Williams from the New Retailer Magazine quotes: “wonderful CD for anyone who enjoys chant but is looking for a new sound. Very nicely arranged and performed”.
Her Kirtan CD, “Peace Chants” is a collection of sanskrit, english and gurmuk mantras blended with world beats, melodic guitars,traditional persian and turkish instruments. Lea’s voice is captivating and pure, leading the listener to a peaceful and meditative state of bliss.
In 2012, Lea launches the 1st Annual Yoga Music Kirtan festival in Montreal and continues to support the Montreal Kirtan community through her Montreal kirtan group and kirtans ( montrealkirtan.com) and will hold its 3rd annual Chant Fest in Montreal in 2015. She is also the co-producer of OMMONTREAL Festival, a festival dedicated to the healing arts.
Her latest self-produced CD called ‘SONGS OF A SIREN’ returns to her past musical education (she holds a BA in JAZZ Music) ,the album is a collection of original love songs, mantras, and known jazz standards like “FEVER” “Here’s To Life” & “The Very Thought of You” hypnotizing the listener with Lea’s sensual, seducing vocals, and musical arrangements morphing the verses & choruses with Indian mantras with the twist of Jazz, making the “East meets West” a true successful listening discovery.