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Contact
For bookings or vocal instruction, contact: Barbara Samuel: 250-215-0911
Or email: info@barbsamuel.com
Barbara and Neal are married and have three children. They live in West Kelowna .
For more information contact Barbara Samuel at info@barbsamuel.com
For photographs, visit the Gallery Section. If you require high-definition photos, email info@barbsamuel.com
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Debut CD Release
September 24, 2009
Kelowna - Local singer Barbara Samuel and songwriter Neal Klassen have released their debut CD, Shine On, consisting of 11 original songs.
Born and raised in Edmonton, Barbara was a classically trained flutist with only a passing interest in singing. Diagnosed with throat cancer in 2001, she was told there was an 80% chance that following surgery she would never be able to sing again. Barbara made a vow that when she recovered she would beat the odds and become a professional singer.
Today she owns a vocal instruction studio in Kelowna , is the Musical and Artistic director for the Kelowna Centre for Spiritual Living, and performs as a vocalist in a duet with Neal, and with the four-piece band, Sista B & the Boyz. She did indeed beat the odds.
Neal hails from St. Catharines where, at the age of 14, he learned how to play guitar thinking it would help him meet girls. He soon found that writing songs was almost as much fun as meeting girls and has been obsessed with songwriting ever since. A multi-instrumentalist, Neal wrote and arranged all 11 tracks on Shine On in his home studio.
The songs on Shine On are a radio-friendly hybrid of Pop, R&B, Funk, Inspirational, and even a bit of Reggae. The title track is a tribute to the couple's parents, while the song Survivor tells the story of Barbara's experience with Cancer. Other highlights on the CD include The Walls are Thin, a chilling but powerful piece about vigilante justice, and Stand, and inspirational song of self-empowerment.
While Shine On is already officially released and available for sale, the CD release party will take place on Friday, October 30 in the Okanagan Room at the Sandman Inn on Highway 97 in Kelowna. It'll be a combination Halloween Dance/CD Release Party. Ticket prices and details, along with a calendar of other upcoming performances can be found on the "Live Performance" page.
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