Daniela Gesundheit (born 15 April 1982) is a singer, songwriter, musician, composer, lyricist, and
Cantor
A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds.
In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...
living between Los Angeles, California and Toronto, Ontario. Daniela Gesundheit holds a BA in music from
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Epis ...
, where she focused on South Indian classical voice, experimental composition, and poetry.
From 2003-2005 Daniela had a band, Fontanel, with LA-based drummer
Barbara Gruska
The Belle Brigade was an American vocal and instrumental duo from Los Angeles, California, consisting of siblings Barbara Gruska (born c. 1983) on guitar, drums, and vocals, and Ethan Gruska (born c. 1989) on guitar, piano, and vocals. The duo r ...
(The Belle Brigade). She also founded and is currently active with the indie-pop band
Snowblink
Snowblink is an indie pop band based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. , a duo with
Dan Goldman. Snowblink's debut record, Long Live, was named an "essential release" by London's
Sunday Times
''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
and they have received a NNNN album and performance review from
NOW magazine in Toronto. Earlier versions of Snowblink included
Andrew Van Wyngarden and
Ben Goldwasser
Benjamin Nicholas Hunter Goldwasser (born December 17, 1982) is an American songwriter and musician in the psychedelic rock band MGMT, for which he primarily plays keyboards and sings. In 2009, his song " Electric Feel" (co-written with bandma ...
of
MGMT
MGMT () is an American indie rock band formed in 2002 in Middletown, Connecticut. It was founded by multi-instrumentalists Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser. Alongside VanWyngarden and Goldwasser, MGMT's live lineup currently consists of ...
, artists David Wilson and Frank Lyon, and film critic and archivist Max Goldberg as backup singers. Caley Monahon Ward was also an early collaborator.
Daniela is currently a member of the band HYDRA, which includes herself,
Feist and Ariel Engle of
AroarA. Daniela has been a featured vocalist (alongside
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...
) for
Owen Pallett
Michael James Owen Pallett (born September 7, 1979) is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist. Under their erstwhile moniker of Final Fantasy, Pallett won the 2006 Polaris Music Prize for the album ''He Poos Clouds''. Pallet ...
on his 2015 album ''
In Conflict'', as well as
Zammuto's 2014 album Anchor. Daniela and her band
Snowblink
Snowblink is an indie pop band based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. performed alongside Feist at the 2012
Polaris Prize
The Polaris Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label. The award was established in 2006 with a $20,000 cash prize; the prize was incr ...
Gala. As part of Snowblink Daniela has opened for
Timber Timbre
Timber Timbre is a Canadian music group, featuring Taylor Kirk. The moniker refers to an early series of recordings made in a timber-framed cabin set in the wooded outskirts of Bobcaygeon, Ontario.
History
Timber Timbre released two albums indep ...
,
Jeff Tweedy
Jeffrey Scot Tweedy (born August 25, 1967) is an American musician, songwriter, author, and record producer best known as the singer and guitarist of the band Wilco. Tweedy, originally from Belleville, Illinois, started his music career in high s ...
,
Owen Pallett
Michael James Owen Pallett (born September 7, 1979) is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist. Under their erstwhile moniker of Final Fantasy, Pallett won the 2006 Polaris Music Prize for the album ''He Poos Clouds''. Pallet ...
,
Ohbijou
Ohbijou was a Canadian indie pop band that was based in Toronto, Ontario. The music of Ohbijou draws on pop, folk and bluegrass influences.
History
Ohbijou began as the solo project of Brantford singer-songwriter Casey Mecija.Sayej, Nadja. "Un ...
,
Great Lake Swimmers
Great Lake Swimmers is a Canadian folk rock band from Wainfleet, Ontario, and currently based in Toronto.
The current touring line-up includes Tony Dekker on lead vocals, acoustic guitar and harmonica, Erik Arnesen on banjo, electric guitar and ...
, and
The Hidden Cameras
The Hidden Cameras are a Canadian indie pop band. Fronted by singer-songwriter Joel Gibb, the band consists of a varying roster of musicians who play what Gibb once described as " gay church folk music". Their live performances have been elabora ...
. Daniela is also a published poet.
Daniela Gesundheit has been a
Dora Mavor Moore Award nominee for "Outstanding Sound Design/Composition." She has also created soundtrack compositions for The Water Thief by Sean Frey and Amy Siegel,
Al Purdy was Here
''Al Purdy Was Here'' is a Canadian documentary film, released in 2015.[Stand Clear of the Closing Doors
''Stand Clear of the Closing Doors'' is a 2013 drama film directed by Sam Fleischner. The story is about an autistic child named Ricky who, after a particularly difficult day at school, escapes into the New York City Subway. It was shown in the m ...]
(Tribeca Film Festival), and The National Parks Project. She also performed with
Michael Ondaatje
Philip Michael Ondaatje (; born 12 September 1943) is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer, essayist, novelist, editor, and filmmaker. He is the recipient of multiple literary awards such as the Governor General's Award, the Giller P ...
for
Jason Collett's Basement Review (2012) and with members of the Aberta Ballet in 2013 at the
Banff Centre
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, formerly known as The Banff Centre (and previously The Banff Centre for Continuing Education), located in Banff, Alberta, was established in 1933 as the Banff School of Drama. It was granted full autonomy as ...
.
Daniela performed with celebrated
acoustic Biologist Katy Payne. This performance placed Payne's lecture discussing her findings about humpback whales and African elephants within an original musical context that involved Daniela and her band Snowblink "to see what they might discover about group identity, distance, competition, innovation, and empathy."
The event was staged at the
Berkeley Art Museum
The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA, formerly abbreviated as BAM/PFA) are a combined art museum, repertory movie theater, and archive associated with the University of California, Berkeley. Lawrence Rinder was Director from ...
as part of the exhibition "The Possible" and at
The Music Gallery
The Music Gallery is an independent performance venue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known as a space for musical and interdisciplinary projects in experimental genres. The Music Gallery is publicly funded through arts grants from the city, pr ...
in Toronto.
Discography
As Lead Singer:
* Snowblink: ''Returning Current,'' 2016
* Snowblink: ''Inner Classics'': 2011
* Snowblink: ''Long Live'', 2008
* Snowblink: ''My Oh My Avalanche'', 2006
* Snowblink: ''Interim At Afton Villa'', 2004
As Featured Vocalist:
* Owen Pallett: ''
In Conflict'', 2015
* Zammuto: ''Anchor'', 2014
* John Southworth: ''Human Cry'', 2013
* Alex Lukashevsky: ''Too Late Blues'', 2012
* Luxury Pond: Self-Titled, 2009
* Brendan Canning: ''You Gots to Chill'', 2013
* Bruce Peninsula: ''A Mountain Is A Mouth'', 2009
* Chris Hadfield: Songs From A Tin Can
References
External links
Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gesundheit, Daniela
1982 births
Living people
Canadian indie pop musicians
21st-century Canadian women singers