VANESSA DAOU is known internationally for her signature breathy vocal style. TIME Magazine writes: "Vanessa Daou's combination of Jazz and Pop make an exhilarating mix. Built on piano, synthesizers and Daou's mesmerizing, Billie Holiday-like vocals, the music conjures up the cool mood of an urban nightscape." The multi-talented singer/songwriter, poet, multi-media artist and dancer has garnered praise for her poetic and introspective lyrics. On each of her albums, she has explored her musical influences & mixed them into her own unique hybrid brew of Jazz, Blues, Rock, Folk & Electronica.
Her internationally-acclaimed solo debut, ZIPLESS, a collaboration with writer and poet Erica Jong, was signed by Bob Krasnow for his Krasnow Entertainment imprint on MCA Records. The set featured her sultry dowtempo hits "Near The Black Forest" and "Sunday Afternoons". Zipless was followed by SLOW TO BURN, with the hugely successful single "Two To Tango". After Krasnow ended his ties with MCA, following a merger with Seagrams (and later, Viacom) [ Variety ], Vanessa self-released the radiant PLUTONIUM GLOW and the introspective DEAR JOHN COLTRANE on her own Daou Music label.
As a Visual Arts and Art History major at Barnard College, Vanessa has always approached her art as a synthesis of sight and sound, written word and song. Master classes with Choreographer Eric Hawkins influenced her fluid approach to movement and her studies with Poet Kenneth Koch at Columbia University sparked her interest in spoken word. In her senior year of college Vanessa made frequent appearances at Postcript, the University's on campus and infamous poetry spot. She began her career recording for NuGroove Records, one of New York's seminal underground experimental electronica labels. An impromptu appearance as guest vocalist led to the label's top selling single, "It Could Not Happen" which was a favorite of DJs Pete Tong and was subsequently released signed by Nettwerk Records, UK.
