Marvellous Marvelly

xena · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 1:22 am Post subject: Marvellous Marvelly

Marvellous Marvelly

THE 16th anniversary of the Malaysia New Zealand Business Council on Aug 16 will be celebrated with a grand dinner that features one of New Zealand’s newest singing sensations.

She is Elizabeth Marvelly, who is one of three New Zealanders under the EMI Classics record label in the last 10 years.

Under the astute guidance of producer Gray Bartlett who discovered recording artistes Hayley Westenra, Yulia Townsend, Ben Morrison and Will Martin, Marvelly has honed her vocal skills and emerged as a world-class specialist in classical pop.

She is also an actress and dramatist, besides a public speaker and has been honoured by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand as the Rising Star of 2007.

Bartlett has described her as his “greatest discovery in 50 years of music” and one with the “voice of an angel”.

Marvelly will be entertaining diners at the New Zealand Annual Dinner And Dance to held at the Shangri-La Hotel, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.

During the last seven years, the annual event has grown to become one of the largest international dinners in the country.

Attendance in the event has risen from 200 in 2002 to 619 last year.

It has invited world-class New Zealand entertainers annually and they have included Maori dance theatre troupe Kahurangi, singers Frankie Stevens, Tim Beveridge and Phil Madsen. Bungy jumping inventor A. J. Hackett has also made an appearance in the event.

The council’s immediate past chairman Richard Tankersley said about 800 people were expected to turn up at the dinner and they had already sold more than 400 tickets for the night of “fine dining and entertainment”.

The event’s guests of honour will be International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and New Zealand High Commissioner to Malaysia David Kersey.

The council was formed in 1992 to promote and foster bilateral trade, services and investment between Malaysia and New Zealand.

The dinner is sponsored by Zenne, Dialog, Shangri-La, Guinness, Fonterra, F&N, Hackett Malaysia and Nekta, among others.

Time: 7pm to 2am. Tickets: RM2,400 nett per table (10 persons), RM240 nett per person (council members) and RM260 nett per person (non-members). Call 03-2144-2422, 2141-0822 or 2141-0842.

Source: nstonline

dave · Joined: Apr 11, 2006 Posts: 48

She looks like Hayley Westenra

valentina · Joined: Oct 12, 2007 Posts: 82

xena · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 5:37 pm Post subject:

Indeed Valentina, as although there are some similarities between Elizabeth and Hayley, she certainly has her own unique sound and style too.

She has actually performed quite a few Maori inspired songs, several of which can be heard on her album. She has also recently performed alongside fellow kiwi star Geoff Sewell, singing the beautifully haunting "So Far Away" with him on his debut solo album, Believe - which is on sale across Australia & New Zealand and also available from his website HERE

You can find more about Elizabeth and her music by visiting her official website HERE

xena · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 1:42 am Post subject:

Here is another nice article about Elizabeth, for those interested in her work and career, which mentions some of her collaborations with several ClassicalX artists too. Very Happy

Voice of an angel

EVER since she learnt to play the piano at age three, Elizabeth Marvelly believed that making great music was her calling.

The 18-year-old New Zealander also learnt to sing when she was eight, and today, she is one of her country's newest singing sensations.

Marvelly performed before 800 people at the 16th anniversary dinner of the Malaysia New Zealand Business Council at Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur on Aug 16.

One of three New Zealanders under the EMI Classics record label in the last 10 years, Marvelly was discovered by producer Gray Bartlett, who also discovered recording artistes Hayley Westenra, Yulia Townsend, Ben Morrison and Will Martin.

Under his guidance, she honed her vocal skills and emerged as a world-class specialist in classical pop. Bartlett has described her as his “greatest discovery in 50 years of music” and one with the “voice of an angel”.

The Variety Artists Club of New Zealand has also honoured Marvelly as its Rising Star of 2007.

“I'm currently working on my second album. Like the first, it's a combination of pop, classical and jazz influences,” she said.

Marvelly's first album, which was self-titled, was released last December and produced by Carl Doy. In its first week in the New Zealand charts, the album went to number eight after going gold in just five days.

It featured two songs which she wrote and composed — When You Are Sad and Faraway.

“When You Are Sad is dedicated to victims of child abuse. The song is about the need for all of us to love and care for children, to give them a better life,” she said.

“Faraway has a lot to do with my travels abroad and the occasional homesickness that follows. I performed in Hong Kong, China, Australia and Britain before coming here.”

Marvelly was virtually born into the music business. Her parents Brett and Vlasta Marvelly were innkeepers at their hometown Rotorua's majestic Princes Gate Hotel, which is frequented by a great many New Zealanders in the music industry.

Growing up, she used to perform with the guests at the hotel, and took singing lessons once a week in Auckland, a three-hour's drive away from home, when she was 13.

Marvelly subsequently spent two years of study in King's College, Auckland where she excelled in cricket (she was team captain), hockey, football and theatre.

She won the 2005 and 2006 National Scholarship for Speech and Drama, the only New Zealander to win the scholarship in two consecutive years.

She also excelled in her studies and scored straight As in her Cambridge University Entrance examination.

In 2006, Marvelly joined the “A Knight With A Dame Tour” with veteran New Zealand singers Sir Howard Morrison and Dame Malvina Major.

“Sir Howard and Dame Malvina were great. They guided me in my performances and taught me how to communicate with the audience,” she said.

In 2007, Marvelly was the guest artiste for Beveridge's tour of New Zealand's North Island and performed in Hong Kong at the premiere of the Nicole Kidman film, The Golden Compass.

In April this year, she performed before 2,500 people at the Sydney Opera House in Australia.

Marvelly has performed duets with British opera star Alfie Boe and New Zealand vocalist Geoff Sewell of the group Amici. She also performed with British singer Paul Potts during his New Zealand and Australia tour in April.

She has also sung at the New Zealand Music Awards, appeared in television programmes such as Dancing With The Stars and given motivational talks to youths.

Malaysia is the first Southeast Asian country Marvelly has visited. She is very impressed with Kuala Lumpur's ultra-modern appearance and loves its warm, tropical climate and hospitality.

"The Saturday evening concert was a blast. I really enjoyed myself and the company of Malaysians, and I'd love to be back later," she said.

Marvelly's favourite singers include jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, as well as classical singers Dame Kiri Te Kinawa and Maria Callas.

“I'd love to duet with Hayley Westenra. She's one of our finest young stars and performed in the Sydney Opera House before me. I also love Crowded House, a great band from New Zealand,” she said.

While Marvelly mostly sings in English, she also performs Maori songs such as Tarakihi.

“The album has two traditional Maori songs and they pay homage to my Maori and English heritage,” she said.

Source: NSTonline