Tamar McLeod Sinclair
As recognised by Norman Meehan, Associate Director of the New Zealand School of Music, Tamar McLeod Sinclair is "easily among the best half dozen jazz voice graduates to emerge in the last decade."
Being one of the few solo female artists to hark out of New Zealand to take on the European market, Tamar`s brave and extraordinary journey in Europe reaches from the dark eastern mountains of Tatra, Slovakia, to the formidable west coast of Cape Finisterre, Spain.
Attending many workshops across Europe Tamar has worked with international singing teachers and artists of the highest standard.
Born in New Zealand, Tamar's roots are in the Maori of Ngai Tahu, The Wallis Islands, French Polynesia and Scotland, Europe.
European Workshops
- L`Association Art Musique Européenne with Mr. Peter Elkus, France
- Kal`i Cerchen (Black Star) Roma (gypsy) theatre company Romathan, Slovakia
- Enrique Vargas and the Teatro De Los Sentidos (Theatre of The Senses), Spain
- Ralf Peters of the Roy Hart Theatre, Germany
- Ida Kelarova and the International School for Human Voice, Czech Republic
- Bentzion (B.Z.) Goldberg with The Tuscany Project, Italy
Using the knowledge gained from her education, influenced by the experience of her travels and with her roots in polynesian culture, Tamar works on her own two feet as a global singer & artist. Blending the waters of Maori and European cultures in her latest recording project Karanga, Tamar gave rise to discussions in New Zealand, with her interpretations of popular Maori Songs. Inspired by the sound of traditional Maori Music & Dance, (before European harmonic structures hit Aotearoa's shores), she created great interest when presenting Karanga to European festivals, grenzgang & MUNDOlogia in Köln & Freiburg, Germany 2007 and Zürich, Switzerland 2008.
Performing in the main piazza of Cortona, Italy 2007; Outdoor festivals: Edelweiss Piraten, Germany 2007; Gypsy Celebration, Czech Republic 2007; Formal concerts and Intimate settings; Tamar expresses with her beautiful voice, all the colours of her heart and soul, touching spirits of young and old. She is joined by musicians of different ethnicities and she has sung in Italy, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Scotland, Spain, Germany and Switzerland on her Tour de Europe.
Her debut album of new music from her extraordinary journey in Europe will be release in 2008.
Influences
Maori and Pacific Island Music, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Soul, Funk, R’n’B, Reggae, Hip-Hop, Classical, Italian Opera, French Chanson, Roma (Gypsy) Music, Spanish Flamenco, Sufi Desert, Sacred, Celtic, African, Afro-Cuban, Piazzolla Tango, Chilean, Fado and Brasilian Music.
Acclaim
“Her most important attributes are those of her intelligence, her drive, her integrity and her humanity, all of which she expresses with passion through her music. I feel that she definitely has the potential of being “star material” and of being an important ambassador of New Zealand Culture to the world”
Mr. Peter Elkus
International Maestro L’Association Art Musique Européenne, Nice, France.
“Deep and touching, quite a spiritual experience!”
Mathias Lampe
ETH Zürich University and Participant of Cortona Week, Cortona, Italy.
“A living magic moment, her music is direct from the soul and the heart.
Played and interpreted by two absolute experts.”
Uwe Ruthard
Musician, Studio Engineer and Producer Co-Art Music Ltd, Weisweil, Germany.
“Beautiful singer.
Marvellous and I feel very happy because her dreams are coming true.”
Fernando Arce
Professional Actor and Participant of Teatro de Los Sentidos, Barcelona, Spain.
“Karanga is great! I like very much that only a very few but very interesting instruments are used. Tamar’s voice is at home in these songs.”
Ralf Peters
Specialist Teacher of The Roy Hart Theatre, Köln, Germany.
“Amazing… I intend to light a fire tonight, candles, and listen properly…”
Claire Hewitt
Celtic Singer and Member of the Edinburgh Association of Storytellers, Perthshire, Scotland.
“Very Special.”
Ida Kelarova
International Roma Singer, Teacher and Founder of the
International School for Human Voice & Miret, Moravia, Czech Republic.
“Fantastic!!!! ”
Bentzion (B.Z) Goldberg
Principal Teacher and Founder of The Tuscany Project, Umbria, Italy.
“She is easily among the best half dozen jazz voice graduates we have had in the last decade and we are excited about her musical future.”
Norman Meehan
Education
Present – June 2007 Mr. Peter Elkus L’Association Art Musique Européenne
Today Tamar continues to develop as an international artist by working with the global maestro Mr. Peter Elkus. With deep experience and extraordinary achievements in the classical singing profession, Mr Peter Elkus is acknowledged and honoured by the brightest stars of opera, (Maria Callas). His extensive teaching resume includes a long list of major opera houses and music schools around the world, where he teaches and inspires voice and instrumental students.
Mr Peter Elkus’s masterclasses are part of a series of master classes sponsored and supported by L’Association Art Musique Européenne. www.laame.org He is also the author of the new book: The Telling of Our Truths: The Magic in Great Musical Performance.
April 2007 Kal’i Cerchen (Black Star) Romanthan
Tamar first met the rich and soulful voices of Marian Balog and Milan Godla of Kal’i Cerchen (Black Star) from the Roma Gypsy Theatre Company Romanthan in Kosice Slovakia, in Ida Kelarova’s Gypsy Summer Celebration 2005 in the Czech Republic. A big fan of their music, Tamar continues to attend their various workshops within Europe. www.romathan.sk
March 2007 Enrique Vargas Teatro De Los Sentidos (Theatre of The Senses)
On the labyrinth Tamar met with Enrique Vargas, the highly honoured actor and director of Teatro De Los Sentidos (Theatre of The Senses) in Barcelona, Spain. She attended a Laboratorio with his incredible company of international actors at their Barcelona headquarters, The Polverin, on the topic of corpo (body) memory of the senses. www.teatrodelossentidos.com
Present – January 2007 Ralf Peters Roy Hart Theatre
Tamar began work with Ralf Peters, a specialist teacher of the Roy Hart Theatre based in Köln, Germany. Specific focus and attention was placed on singing into self, Voice and Listening. www.roy-hart.com www.stimmfeld.de
May – September 2006 Camino de Santiago
Following the signs, in the spring of 2006 Tamar began the way of the Camino de Santiago.
This epic journey led Tamar from the Black Madonna in Einseideln, Switzerland; through Freiburg, Germany; Strausbourg, Montbéliard, Normandy; to the Cathedral Chakras of Europe. Namely: Amiens, Paris, Chartres, Orleans, Saintes Maries de la Mer (where the beloved patron of the Roma people Saint Sara resides), Toulouse, France; and ultimately Santiago de Compostella, Spain. Crossing the mighty Pyrenees with 12 euros in her pocket, she walked 1200kms from Lourdes to reach the Galician sea, burning her clothes at Cabo Finisterre, The End of The World. www.paulocoelho.com
Present – September 2005 Seulpake
After a quick visit to the Royal School of Music in London and the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall and inspired by her wish to reconnect to her European roots, Tamar made her way to the heart of Scotland. During this time, Tamar worked closely with Celtic singer, harpist and Edinburgh association storyteller Claire Hewitt, recording Seulpake in the Red Barn Studio, weaving together the traditional songs of the Celtic and Maori people. www.clairehewitt.co.uk
Present – July 2005 Ida Kelarova International School for Human Voice
3 weeks after her arrival in Europe and on her Latcho Drom (good way) to the Czech Republic, following her dream to meet with the Roma (gypsy) people and learn their songs, Tamar landed with a big splash in an ocean of new contacts within the Roma culture. She began an intense working relationship with the notorious and internationally famous Roma singer and teacher
Ida Kelarova, the International School for Human Voice and Miret. www.kelarova.com
Highlights with Kelarova include:
July 2005 Gypsy Summer Celebration Workshop in Svojanov Castle, Czech Republic. February 2006 Song of My Soul Workshop in The Darkness in Pilsner, Czech Republic. December 2005 Apsora Choir Workshops & Benefit Concerts in Prague, Czech Republic & November 2007 Zürich, Switzerland. www.miret.cz
July 2005 Bentzion (B.Z.) Goldberg Tuscany Project
On her touch down in Europe 2005, Tamar attended the Tuscany Project where she was introduced to Bentzion (B.Z.) Goldberg, (filmmaker and director of the academy award nominated film Promises www.promisesproject.org), the Tuscany team and to a whole new world of vocal exploration, through Jazz, Cabaret and Gospel singing in the land of ‘Belcanto’ Umbria, Italy. www.tuscanyproject.com
September 2004 – June 2005 Management The Embassy Theatre
Out into the working world, Tamar was thrown in the deep end of arts administration. Leaving for Cannes Film Festival and Tour de Europe, Tamar’s colleagues promoted her from candy bar and box office girl, to take on the lead role as management within The Embassy Theatre. Known as the best cinema experience in the world and the spiritual home of Peter Jackson’s multi academy award winning film trilogy The Lord of The Rings in Wellington, New Zealand. www.deluxe.co.nz
January 2001 – December 2003 Bachelor of Music New Zealand School of Music
Following her deep love of music, Tamar completed her Bachelor of Music studies with top jazz and contemporary vocal tutors Bruce Brown and David Feehan in 2003. She graduated in 2004, majoring in Performance Jazz Vocals under the guidance of Norman Meehan, associate director of the New Zealand School of Music (formally known as the Massey University Conservatorium of Music), Wellington, New Zealand. www.nzsm.ac.nz