Ecuadorian-American singer songwriter Sara Ontaneda is based in New York City, and her music is a mix of folk and R&B, as well as South American rhythms. Her debut full-length album, ‘Entre Espacios y Colores’ (Between Spaces And Colours) was released on March 20.
Sara Ontaneda started piano lessons at the age of 7, and joined her school’s choir at 9, living in Miami Florida. She moved with her family to Guayaquil, Ecuador, at 13, where she realised her true passion for music, and studied at the conservatory while also enjoying contemporary music. From there she performed with jazz and bossa nova bands, leading her to perform at top Ecuadorian venues such as Diva Nicotina, Teatro Centro de Arte, and Teatro Sanchez Aguilar. During her teens she also began writing and recording, producing her songs at Susy Nickel Productions, the home studio of her mentor.
Sara won a place at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, where she majored in Contemporary Writing and Production, graduating with honours and winning several scholarships. She released her single, ‘Pero Hoy’, in August 2014, following this with her first EP, ‘Marte y Júpiter’, for which she assumed the roles of writer, recording engineer, and producer. The EP received critical praise from music publications in Latin America and Spain, leading to her tour across Ecuador, where she performed in Piñas, Cuenca, Quito, and Guayaquil. Since then she has also performed in the US at festivals such as SXSW, in Austin, Texas, and Out Of The Box, in Boston, both last year.
‘Entre Espacios y Colores’ is Sara’s debut album, and is bilingual with some tracks in English and others in Spanish.
Sara’s album will be officially launched this coming Sunday, 9 April, at The Bitter End, 147 Bleecker Street, New York City, commencing at 8.30pm. Tickets are $5 at the door. For further details visit Sara’s website. You can also find Sara online on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. ‘Entre Espacios y Colores’ is available from Bandcamp, iTunes, and Amazon.
