MARIE HADDAD is a musician from San Diego, California.
Winner Best Pop Album – 2018 San Diego Music Awards
Winner Best Musical Score – 2019 48-hour Film Project, San Diego
Winner Best Music Video – 2019 San Diego Film Week
Nominee Best Singer-Songwriter – 2020 San Diego Music Awards
Nominee Best Pop Song – 2021 San Diego Music Awards
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“Somewhere between Kate Bush and Leonard Cohen” – San Diego Downtown News
“A voice and lyrical landscape all her own” – San Diego Troubadour
“(Haddad) is a shape-shifter, constantly moving and changing, trying new styles and creating new worlds through music. Her newest album is the artist’s most diverse” – Atwood Magazine
“The celebrated local singer-songwriter took us on a winding journey of beautiful ballads and top-notch musicianship with her new album” – SoundDiego
“It’s easy to get lost in the fluid dreamscape of Haddad’s music…Stories from Atlantis is a bold, impressive work that builds upon a signature sound while offering up a number of dynamic surprises.” – SD Troubadour
“A voice that can hold your attention whatever she is singing” – North County Times
“I just received my copy of Marie Haddad’s latest release, Stories from Atlantis. I am in awe. Beautiful, mesmerizing, with some eastern Mediterranean influences and other-worldliness sounds, and intelligent, emotive lyrics. Superior arrangements, Alluring vocals. What is there not to like? Plus the most unique cover of Ring of Fire I’ve ever heard (and I love it! Adds new depth to the song). This is a very different album.” – Mapping Happenings
“Haddad is a force to be reckoned with!” – DoSD
Radio Airplay listener comments:
“Did Tori Amos have a kid with Mazzy Star?”, “Captivating voice and piano”, “You seem to put magic and soul into your words”, “Ethereal and beautiful voice – soaring and swooping, deeply moving and soulful”, “A different sound, both old and new”, “Unexpected sound, very unique”, “Mind blowing! Gave me goose pimples! Thank you!!”, “Really love this – keep it up, you’ll make a lot of people happy for a long long time ! <3 <3”
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BIO:
Haddad started playing piano at the age of 5 but quit formal training at 11 because her attention span required constant breaks for cartwheels. After having to sell her piano in college, she missed playing so much that she would regularly sneak into a well-known San Diego hotel in the middle of the night to practice on the grand in their main ballroom. Soon, the cleaning staff started to recognize her.
Haddad then began performing as a vocalist in the psychedelic rock band the San Diego Beat Organization (the SDBO), which was nominated as Best New Band at the San Diego Music Awards. When the group disbanded, Haddad ventured into writing and performing her own solo material on piano. She has since been honored with nominations at the 2007, 2009, and 2011 San Diego Music Awards as Best Acoustic Act in San Diego, and in 2013 and 2020 as Best Singer-Songwriter. Her latest release, Stories from Atlantis, was the winner of Best Pop Album at the 2018 San Diego Music Awards. “Atlantis II” (produced by Pea Hicks) was nominated as Best Pop Song at the 2021 San Diego Music Awards.
Haddad has composed music for several short films and for a theater production of Annie Baker’s Circle Mirror Transformation, and has voiced commercial jingles. In 2019, Haddad won Best Musical Score from the 48-Hour Film Project – San Diego for music she composed for state of flux’s short film Shadow ± Light. Also in 2019, the music video created by KIND FILMS for her song “Jdita” won Best Music Video at the 2019 San Diego Film Festival.
The Lifetime TV show “Dance Moms” has used two of Haddad’s songs (“Why? Why Not.” and “Wishing Well”) in choreographed dance routines in competition on the show. The response has been impressive, with fans of the show reposting the clips, instigating Wiki Pages for the songs/dances, creating fan-made videos of the songs, and translating the lyrics into other languages. “Wishing Well” was also used in a Hallmark Channel movie. Haddad’s song “Boxing” was used in the season finale of ABC’s “The Taste!”. Her original holiday single, “Holiday Cheer!”, had the distinction of being on two Top 100 Independent Holiday Song lists and she’s been awarded a “Top 10 Best Performance in a Live Video” recognition from OurStage.com for her rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” Her rendition of Kate Bush’s “Night-Scented Stock” was included on Bush League’s Running Up That Hill compilation. Haddad’s Hoodoo Gurus cover of “I Want You Back” is included on Musicians of the World for Australian Firefighters, a 2020 compilation benefiting The Trustee for NSW Rural Fire Service & Brigades Donations Fund.
Haddad also regularly performs live, both solo and with full band. Notable recent bookings include opening for Christine and the Queens, George Benson, Midge Ure, Kenny G, Howe Gelb, Bob Schneider, mew, Tower of Power, Vonda Shepard, and Vienna Teng. In 2021, she joined San Diego’s world renown music ensemble and “Kate Bush experience of your dreams” Baby Bushka as keyboardist.
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