Katie is a sound artist, psychotherapist, and sound practitioner based in New York City. She plays glass instruments, flute, ukulele and homemade instruments. Katie is also an award winning sound designer for theatre. www.katiedown.com or www.soundwellcenter.com

Few people are born with the gift of instantly touching people's hearts with their voice. Azania is one of them. Originally from Sierra Leone, West Africa, this award-winning, multi-cultural artist was born and raised in the U.S. & in Geneva, Switzerland. From the age of 6 she knew that singing was her calling. "It's a beautiful way to share emotions and connect with people on a deep level" she says.

 Azania's captivating voice, powerful energy and positive charisma make her a phenomenal performer and a joy to see on stage. She has performed hundreds of concerts around Europe and in Asia, and looks forward to travelling worldwide. "It's always wonderful and fascinating to see how universal music is. It surpasses so many cultural boundaries and speaks straight to the heart". She has sung in major music festivals, such as the world-renowned Montreux Jazz festival and was honored to perform for the Presidents of Liberia, Sierra Leone & the U.K. In Paris, she won first prize in the French T.V. competition 'Graines de Star' on M6TV. Broadcast to over 4 million viewers, it was the first French show similar to 'American Idol'.

 A true chameleon, Azania loves exploring various facets of her voice in different styles of music. During her 12 years+ of classical opera voice training, she sang in many different bands of not only soul and funk, but also jazz to disco, electro/house to gospel, reggae to musical theater. For her upcoming album, several songs are inspired by the groovy soul and funk era of the 1970's. However Azania's compositions evolve from diverse musical influences. “I simply compose what I feel, and I’m inspired by different styles. To me what’s most important is the message and emotion of each song. If you feel it, that’s all that counts”. Reflecting her warm personality, Azania's lyrics are often enriched with uplifting and positive messages, and her debut album "Rising" was released in 2013.

"A star is born." - DB Magazine 

"The next Whitney Houston." – TV Guide (France)

 "Azania's captivating voice, powerful energy, positive and sensual charisma make her a superlative performer that you want to hear and see more and more of on stage." - African Sun Times

"Azania is absolutely incredible... a mixture of Adele and Whitney Houston".- Lara Richards

 "With a little rock and roll, and a whole lot of soul, the depth and range of her voice is unbeatable." - Swit Salone News

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