Emily Pinkerton, MEDIA KIT 2009

Andean AltAlt-Country
Born in the heart of the Midwest, songwriter Emily
Pinkerton has crafted a style with roots that stretch from
Appalachia to the Andes. Picture the stark sound world
of Gillian Welch steeped in South American rhythms,
and you’ll see why Sing Out! has dubbed Emily’s music
“affecting and poignant—
poignant—a different kind of high
lonesome.” High, haunting vocals soar over pulsating
guitar and banjo riffs that draw from a decade of travel
between her hometown of Valparaiso, Indiana and her
second home in Valparaíso, Chile.
The best of two cultures and
songwriting styles.
NUVO During three years in Chile, Emily was an apprentice to
master musicians Alfonso Rubio and Chosto Ulloa,
learning to compose and improvise traditional poetry
of the central valley. Lyrical and chant-like, the sound
of canto a lo poeta permeates her latest work: “Even
when writing in English, my songs gravitate towards the
rhythms I learned in Pirque. I love how it feels to sing
the high, arching melodies of Chilean canto, and I
think you can sense this in Valparaíso, whether the
tune is an Old-Time reel or a South American cueca.”
Emily has toured North and South America, appearing
at venues such as SXSW (TX), Sala América (Chile),
Kamikaze (Peru), and Makor (NY), sharing the stage
with Alejandro Escovedo, Stacy Phillips, and the
Chieftains. She is shaping an ever-growing audience
for her music, winning the City Paper readers’ poll as
one of the top acoustic acts in Pittsburgh,
Pittsburgh where she
now lives. She performs solo and with her trio,
featuring bassist Layo Puentes, and cajón player Lucas
Savage.
This artist was selected for inclusion in the
Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour Roster.
Funding may be available to support performance
engagements with presenters in DC, DE, MD, NJ,
NY, OH, PA, VA, WV and the US Virgin Islands.
An eminent performer, she represents
Chilean music with precision and respect.
Micaela Navarrete
National Library of Chile One of the best PittArts programs we’ve had yet.
Kathryn Heidemann
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust At times, her voice is the epitome of loneliness,
and at others, a portal for the familiarity that
only home can bring.
The Santiago Times Contact
Booking/Press/General Inquiries:
Emily Pinkerton
314 McKinley Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15202
412-999-3443
[email protected]
www.emilypinkerton.com
Electronic Press Kit:
www.sonicbids.com/emilypinkerton
Questions about PennPAT
PennPAT support:
215-496-9424
[email protected]
www.pennpat.org
Discography
Valparaíso
(2008)
It’s hard not to be enchanted with Emily Pinkerton’s music
when it takes you from the North American Midwest to the
South American Andes. The ubiquitous guitar makes it
accessible, but the Latin rhythms and language turn it into an
exotic, luscious thing.
—Cleveland Scene
…a talent for flat-picking on guitar and banjo, a gift for
melody and a lovely voice reminiscent of Joan Baez…
—Pittsburgh PostPost-Gazette
Pinkerton’s transcontinental style comes across most on ‘El
Cerro’ and ‘Kingdom Down.’ Sung in Spanish and featuring
the cajón drum, the gorgeous ‘El Cerro’ was inspired by
Pittsburgh’s scenery, especially the lonely stairs that climb its
hills.
—Pittsburgh City Paper
Broad musical range and big heart.
Indy Folk Series Divahn (2002)
…in combining the old and new, drawing from
across the globe and mixing their respective
musical gifts, Divahn have not only a fine debut
on their hands, but a new musical statement—one
of craft, originality, and spirit. —Austin Chronicle
Emily
Pinkerton (2004)
Folk music with beauty and poignancy.
‘Taken aback’ is superior.
—New Haven Advocate
Critical Praise
As impressive as Pinkerton's musical dexterity is--she plays guitar, banjo and violin expertly--it pales next to her
vocal tone. Emotions waver on Pinkerton's vibrations. She sings about love and war, rejection and homecoming,
changing the atmosphere in the room with each breath.
—Santiago Times
Emily Pinkerton is a songwriter of staggering proportions… These songs are both old, and brand new; both simple
folk songs and harmonically complex compositions; both original and clearly part of a larger tradition; both
heartbreaking and joyous. This is what great songwriting sounds like.
—CD Baby Review
The best of two cultures and songwriting styles…Pinkerton’s songs employ earthy metaphors that reflect her spiritual
and emotional world.
– NUVO
Early on, Pinkerton developed a passion for American folk music, which led her
down the path to everything from South American folk to traditional, old-time
music. Pinkerton juggles her studies, which have taken her throughout the globe,
with recording and performing, which has found her playing to industry types at
the prestigious South by Southwest Music Conference [as part of the band
Divahn] and sharing stages with artists ranging from Celtic legends the Chieftains
to bluegrass multi-instrumentalist Stacy Phillips.
—Northwest Indiana Times
When you hear local songwriter and ethnomusicologist Emily Pinkerton sing, a
sense of nostalgia invades you… Emily's performances are a unique combination
of Latin American music and the traditional sounds of American old-time. Born in
the Midwest, she studied in Chile where she first heard Violeta Parra, a major
influence in all of her music. She sings fluently in Spanish for many of her songs,
then picks up her banjo and tells American tales such as John Lover is Gone.
—Nightwire
www.emilypinkerton.com
314 McKinley Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15202
412412-999999-3443
Outreach Activities
Emily offers hands-on workshops and assembly programs
for children and adults, focusing on South American and
North American traditions.
Past engagements include:
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Old-Time Fiddle and Banjo
(American Revival Concert), undergraduate students
NOMAD Folk Festival,
Festival, Old-Time Fiddle and Banjo
Technique for Adults
Boys & Girls Club of Lawrenceville, Beginning Guitar with
Latin American Rhythms, grades 3-5
Frick International Academy, Folk & Popular Music in
South America, Assembly Program with hands-on
participation, grades 6-8
Schenley High School, Intermediate Guitar Workshop
focusing on South American Rhythms, grades 9-12
Calliope: The Pittsburgh Folk Music Society, Folk Guitar
Classes for students, grades 6-8, and adults
First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, Protest Songs of
South America for Adults
Selected Appearances
Emily always received the most glowing
praise in her student evaluations.
Patricia Tanner, Director
Calliope:
The Pittsburgh Folk Music Society Emily teaching middle school students to play
Andean guitar, zampoñas, pandero and cajón.
A hauntingly beautiful voice and a
knack for songwriting on par
with the legends.
EMay Music SXSW, Austin, TX
Cactus Café, Austin, TX
Heartland Café, Chicago, IL
Googie’s Lounge, New York, NY
Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Café Bellas Artes, Cleveland, OH
Front Porch Music, Valparaiso, IN
Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Artspace, New Haven, CT
Phoenix Café, Lakewood, OH
Columbia University, New York, NY
Wadsworth Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
First Unitarian Church, Indianapolis, IN
Barking Spider Tavern, Clevleland, OH
In Pennsylvania:
Club Café
Barrio Latino
Brillobox
Altar Bar
Garfield Artworks
Saturday Light Brigade
Calliope Concert Series
Frick Fine Arts Auditorium
Your Inner Vagabond
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Pennsylvania Presenters Conference
Carnegie Mellon University
University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg
Bloomfield Bridge Tavern
Pittsburgh International Folk Festival
Pitt Latin American & Caribbean Festival
Sala América, Santiago, Chile
La Casa en el Aire, Santiago, Chile
La Capilla, Valparaíso, Chile
Encuentro del Guitarrón, Pirque, Chile
Kamikaze, Cuzco, Peru
www.emilypinkerton.com
314 McKinley Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15202
412412-999999-3443