Gina Sicilia
Encyclopedia
Gina Sicilia is an American
blues
singer. She is the youngest daughter of Giovanni Sicilia, an Italian
immigrant, born in the southern Italian province of Calabria who emigrated to the United States in the 1960's, and Patricia Sicilia, born in Philadelphia. Sicilia has an older brother, David Sicilia, a physicist at Dartmouth College as well as an accomplished musician, and an older sister, Anne-Marie Sicilia, a math teacher in New Jersey. Sicilia attended the Council Rock School District in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Exposed to music
early on by her parents, Sicilia showed a passion for music at a young age. By age 12 she began writing
her own songs, and by 16 she had written numerous songs that would later be recorded on her debut album
.
In 2007 Sicilia graduated from Temple University
with a degree in journalism
. During her sophomore year of college, Sicilia began attending the weekly blues jam at Warmdaddy's in Philadelphia. It was there she got her first performing experience and met a large group of local musicians who would help her to record her first demo
.
, Allow Me To Confess, which was produced
by Gross and consisted of eight original songs. Musicians on the album included harmonica
player Dennis Gruenling and Arthur Neilson. The album was released in early 2007 to rave reviews. JazzReview called her "the best blues singer on the music scene today" BluesWax said she was a singer with "...star potential.."
Allow Me To Confess debuted at #10 on the Living Blues Radio chart, and peaked at #3 on XM Radio's Bluesville. A few months after the album's release, Sicilia signed with the VizzTone Label Group. Sicilia was nominated for a 2008 Blues Music Award in the category of 'Best New Artist Debut'. She also performed at the ceremony alongside acclaimed blues pianist, David Maxwell.
"Hey Sugar" helped to further establish Sicilia as a formidable singer, songwriter, and performer who could easily cross over from Blues to Americana.
Sicilia toured the United States exstensively in 2008-2009 and in 2011, took part in the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise. There, she performed alongside such artists as Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Joan Osborne, and The Holmes Brothers.
The album was met by rave reviews. The Boston Globe praised her voice as "Earthy and voluptuous" while About.com said she "delivers a vocal and lyrical performance that rates alongside the titans of early-1960s soul."
In March 2011 to promote the new album, Sicilia performed on Philadelphia's popular NBC "10! Show" and interviewed and performed on BB King's Bluesville, channel 74 on Sirius/XM Radio
with DJ Bill Wax. The album debuted at # 11 on the Living Blues Radio Charts on April 1st, 2011 and was added to over 150 AAA radio stations in May 2011.
In the summer of 2011 "Can't Control Myself" was included in About.com's list of the "Top Ten Best Blues Album's of 2011...So Far".
In April, 2011, "Gimme a Simple Song", an original song from "Can't Control Myself", reached as high as #94 among the over 15 million MP3's available for download on Amazon.com
In August, 2011 Sicilia released a music video for "Addicted" directed by Saturday Night Live producer Tanya Ryno
Sicilia has opened for such notable acts as Johnny Winter, Joe Bonamassa, Shemekia Copeland, Beth Hart, and James Cotton
Gina Sicilia is an artist who actively utilizes social media, and interacts everyday with over 60,000 fans through various social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
singer. She is the youngest daughter of Giovanni Sicilia, an Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
immigrant, born in the southern Italian province of Calabria who emigrated to the United States in the 1960's, and Patricia Sicilia, born in Philadelphia. Sicilia has an older brother, David Sicilia, a physicist at Dartmouth College as well as an accomplished musician, and an older sister, Anne-Marie Sicilia, a math teacher in New Jersey. Sicilia attended the Council Rock School District in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Exposed to music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
early on by her parents, Sicilia showed a passion for music at a young age. By age 12 she began writing
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
her own songs, and by 16 she had written numerous songs that would later be recorded on her debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
.
In 2007 Sicilia graduated from Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
with a degree in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
. During her sophomore year of college, Sicilia began attending the weekly blues jam at Warmdaddy's in Philadelphia. It was there she got her first performing experience and met a large group of local musicians who would help her to record her first demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
.
Allow Me To Confess
In 2006 Sicilia recorded her debut albumAlbum
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Allow Me To Confess, which was produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Gross and consisted of eight original songs. Musicians on the album included harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
player Dennis Gruenling and Arthur Neilson. The album was released in early 2007 to rave reviews. JazzReview called her "the best blues singer on the music scene today" BluesWax said she was a singer with "...star potential.."
Allow Me To Confess debuted at #10 on the Living Blues Radio chart, and peaked at #3 on XM Radio's Bluesville. A few months after the album's release, Sicilia signed with the VizzTone Label Group. Sicilia was nominated for a 2008 Blues Music Award in the category of 'Best New Artist Debut'. She also performed at the ceremony alongside acclaimed blues pianist, David Maxwell.
Hey Sugar
In October 2008, Sicilia released her second album, Hey Sugar, which debuted at #10 on the Living Blues Radio chart and consisted of nine original compositions."Hey Sugar" helped to further establish Sicilia as a formidable singer, songwriter, and performer who could easily cross over from Blues to Americana.
Sicilia toured the United States exstensively in 2008-2009 and in 2011, took part in the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise. There, she performed alongside such artists as Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Joan Osborne, and The Holmes Brothers.
Can't Control Myself
On March 1st, 2011 Sicilia released her much anticipated third studio album, "Can't Control Myself", once again produced by Dave Gross.The album was met by rave reviews. The Boston Globe praised her voice as "Earthy and voluptuous" while About.com said she "delivers a vocal and lyrical performance that rates alongside the titans of early-1960s soul."
In March 2011 to promote the new album, Sicilia performed on Philadelphia's popular NBC "10! Show" and interviewed and performed on BB King's Bluesville, channel 74 on Sirius/XM Radio
with DJ Bill Wax. The album debuted at # 11 on the Living Blues Radio Charts on April 1st, 2011 and was added to over 150 AAA radio stations in May 2011.
In the summer of 2011 "Can't Control Myself" was included in About.com's list of the "Top Ten Best Blues Album's of 2011...So Far".
In April, 2011, "Gimme a Simple Song", an original song from "Can't Control Myself", reached as high as #94 among the over 15 million MP3's available for download on Amazon.com
Career
In June, 2011 Sicilia was nominated for a Blues Blast Award in the category of the "Sean Costello Rising Star Award"In August, 2011 Sicilia released a music video for "Addicted" directed by Saturday Night Live producer Tanya Ryno
Sicilia has opened for such notable acts as Johnny Winter, Joe Bonamassa, Shemekia Copeland, Beth Hart, and James Cotton
Gina Sicilia is an artist who actively utilizes social media, and interacts everyday with over 60,000 fans through various social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook