Diana Clark

 

With a voice laced with k.d. lang’s syrupy-poise, the depths of Nina Simone, and intoxicating rhythms of Rio de Janeiro, Diana Clark is an award winning vocalist, song-writer, and choir leader.

Versatile and accomplished, her music, a seamless blend of her own original material in combination with jazz, bossa nova standards and pop have impressed audiences throughout Australia, the Pacific and Brazil. Her collaborations with master guitarist Doug de Vries have established her as a foremost signer of Bossa Nova and MPB (Brazilian Popular Music), and her original material reveals an emotive power and sophistication that is given full flight in her trio of sublime musicians featuring Doug de Vries, and Piano Accordion/multi-instrumentalist Stephen Grant.

 

 

Whether it’s a haunting ballad, a samba, or the blues in Portuguese, the distinctly soulful alto voice of Diana Clark will impress you with its warm embrace.

A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Music in performance and improvisation, and recipient of two Australia Council grants, Diana has studied with the vocalists Lisa Young, Christine Sullivan, Michelle Nicolle and Portugal’s Maria João and is influenced by conductors, Sue Johnson, Melanie Shanahan and Vicki King.

Conversant in Jazz and Bossa Nova, singing fluently in Portuguese, Diana has become a leading exponent of Brazilian music along with her long time collaborator, Doug de Vries - their recordings Three Shadows of Blue and A Knot in the Wood winning art critic awards in Australia and the United States.

Her debut solo CD – Breathe in to Time – a collection of original songs, (reflecting the spirit of a life lived from the Australian outback to the culturally rich cities of Melbourne and Rio de Janeiro) has been critically acclaimed, picking up two songwriting awards for the title track.

She is a co-founder of the popular a cappella group, Akasa. (Best World/Folk Album 2000 + 2007 CARA, USA) and in 2001 established BORBOLETA, Australia’s first performing Brazilian choir. Her passion for teaching and profound knowledge and respect for the musical traditions of Brazil has culminated in her first publication - The Borboleta BRAZILIAN SONGBOOK – an inspired and varied collection of choral and instrumental arrangements of the Brazilian repertoire. The books companion CD is considered to be one of the best Australian community choral recordings of the last 15 years.

Highly sought after as a conductor and teacher of community choirs she has directed the legendary 400 voice Melbourne Millennium Chorus to huge audiences on numerous occasions.

In addition to teaching, conducting, songwriting, touring and freelancing as a solo vocalist and as the leader of her own trio, she has also performed and recorded with leading Australian jazz music luminaries including Gary Costello, Joe Chindamo, Will Poskitt, Stephen Grant, Bob and Steve Sedergreen and Doug de Vries with whom she has established a Brazilian Music course in the Bachelor of Australian Popular Music degree at NMIT in Fairfield, Melbourne.

"Singing in Portuguese, Diana's light, melifluous voice perfectly compliments de Vries' virtuosity on the 7 string guitar. Marrying old and new sounds, they manage to remain faithful to the 'musica brasileira' genre while retaining a strong Australian sensibility."

Lily Bragg, The AGE [Melbourne].

“When you can sing in Portuguese, count Nina Simone and KD Lang as influences, and are backed by Doug de Vries on guitar it’s hard to go wrong. It also helps that Diana Clark has an amazing voice.”
The AGE, 2007 [Melbourne].