AaronsGirl
4th Apr 2007, 16:32
Canadian Idol star Avila deserving of wider attention
oanne Paulson, The StarPhoenix
Published: Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Eva Avila might be, at least for the present, stuck with the Canadian Idol demographic -- which is truly a shame, because this young woman has pipes that deserve to be heard by a wider audience.
It was a small crowd at her Tuesday night concert -- perhaps 450 or 500 people -- and 90 per cent of them were girls, aged about six to 14.
She sang, they squealed. She came into the audience, they ran to her. She's certainly a star with the young set, but if she can convince an adult crowd that she's more than an Idol, she may have a future with that strong, nimble voice.
Avila was in Saskatoon for the Juno Awards on the weekend, then performed Monday night in Edmonton before returning for the TCU Place concert.
Yet her voice showed no strain; her clear, pure soprano rose to hit the high notes with apparent effortlessness. This young woman can really sing -- and not just pop.
She proved that by settling into an acoustic arrangement with her band for one song, a French ballad that showed she can switch gears to a chanson from rocking out. It was beautifully done, even moving.
Avila, who is from Gatineau, Que., speaks three languages, and has said she wants to record a French album.
That would be an excellent idea; if she could get the Quebec public behind her, she might have a shot at a more mature audience, not unlike Celine Dion.
She was also fantastic performing This Kind of Love, written by Cyndi Lauper, who was one of the stars advising Canadian Idol finalists last year. Lauper was trying to get the singers to express themselves more fully, which is definitely something Avila could learn more about.
"She had me doing jumping jacks in the studio at two in the morning," said Avila of Lauper.
It may seem odd to suggest that someone as beautiful as Avila needs to work on her body language, but there you have it. Although she loosened up near the end of the concert, Avila is a bit stiff out there, following a standard stage path from middle to side to side, and then briefly in front of the drummer.
She's only 20, though; and her sweet, quiet demeanour during the French song showed promise.
She came out singing her Latin- flavoured song, I Owe It All To You, and also performed her first hit, Meant To Fly. A short medley of Annie Lennox tunes, including Would I Lie To You and Sweet Dreams, was immensely cheered by the older members of the crowd.
Even before the concert ended, little girls were heading out the doors to her autograph table, obviously dying to meet her.
http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/lifestyle/story.html?id=d14aa057-
b24b-4cb6-8da0-7bac6c2ab586
oanne Paulson, The StarPhoenix
Published: Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Eva Avila might be, at least for the present, stuck with the Canadian Idol demographic -- which is truly a shame, because this young woman has pipes that deserve to be heard by a wider audience.
It was a small crowd at her Tuesday night concert -- perhaps 450 or 500 people -- and 90 per cent of them were girls, aged about six to 14.
She sang, they squealed. She came into the audience, they ran to her. She's certainly a star with the young set, but if she can convince an adult crowd that she's more than an Idol, she may have a future with that strong, nimble voice.
Avila was in Saskatoon for the Juno Awards on the weekend, then performed Monday night in Edmonton before returning for the TCU Place concert.
Yet her voice showed no strain; her clear, pure soprano rose to hit the high notes with apparent effortlessness. This young woman can really sing -- and not just pop.
She proved that by settling into an acoustic arrangement with her band for one song, a French ballad that showed she can switch gears to a chanson from rocking out. It was beautifully done, even moving.
Avila, who is from Gatineau, Que., speaks three languages, and has said she wants to record a French album.
That would be an excellent idea; if she could get the Quebec public behind her, she might have a shot at a more mature audience, not unlike Celine Dion.
She was also fantastic performing This Kind of Love, written by Cyndi Lauper, who was one of the stars advising Canadian Idol finalists last year. Lauper was trying to get the singers to express themselves more fully, which is definitely something Avila could learn more about.
"She had me doing jumping jacks in the studio at two in the morning," said Avila of Lauper.
It may seem odd to suggest that someone as beautiful as Avila needs to work on her body language, but there you have it. Although she loosened up near the end of the concert, Avila is a bit stiff out there, following a standard stage path from middle to side to side, and then briefly in front of the drummer.
She's only 20, though; and her sweet, quiet demeanour during the French song showed promise.
She came out singing her Latin- flavoured song, I Owe It All To You, and also performed her first hit, Meant To Fly. A short medley of Annie Lennox tunes, including Would I Lie To You and Sweet Dreams, was immensely cheered by the older members of the crowd.
Even before the concert ended, little girls were heading out the doors to her autograph table, obviously dying to meet her.
http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/lifestyle/story.html?id=d14aa057-
b24b-4cb6-8da0-7bac6c2ab586