Sunset Wednesdays: Nella

PROGRAM

Selections to be announced from the stage

BAND

Nella, vocals

Justin Goldner, guitar

Parker McAllister, bass

Mario Castro, sax and percussion

Born in Venezuela, Nella is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music. In 2019, she won the Latin GRAMMY® for Best New Artist. Her style is a cutting-edge blend of her native country’s folklore, the sounds of her generation and influences from Spain’s Andalusia region. She carries her songs around like essential supplies in a backpack and sings them with her soul.

In 2018, Nella was invited to act and sing in the Spanish feature film “Everybody Knows,” starring Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem. She performed several songs written for the film by the talented Latin GRAMMY® winner, producer, guitarist and songwriter, Javier Limón. Shortly thereafter, she launched a tour dubbed Me Llaman Nella (They Call Me Nella), which featured songs that she performed in the film, plus other Limón-penned tunes and Venezuelan folk songs. This tour took her to the USA, UK, Spain, Venezuela, Panama and Mexico. Her tour was so successful that it continued for two years, despite the fact that she had only released three singles up to that point.

In May 2019, she released her debut album, titled Voy. Its first single, the title track, was named in The New York Times’ list of the 54 Best Songs of 2019, coming in at #14. Nella’s voice has also captivated the Venezuela native and Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor Gustavo Dudamel, who invited her to sing a song that he composed for Free Color, the documentary about the Venezuelan visual artist Carlos Cruz Diez.

In May 2021, Nella released her first album with Sony Music, Doce Margaritas. The 12 songs on the album were written by Javier Limón, who also produced the majority of the tracks; Cheo Pardo, the Latin GRAMMY® winning Venezuelan guitarist was also involved with recording. That same year, Nella participated in the album and HBO Special Piano y Mujer with the Irish American pianist Arthur Hanlon, along with Kany García, Natalia Jiménez, Evaluna Montaner and Goyo.

Photo: Allessandro Martino

Wave Hill
Michele Rossetti, Interim Executive Director or Ray Oladapo-Johnson, Executive Director
Gabriel de Guzman, Director of Arts & Chief Curator
Betsey Perlmutter, Curator of Performing Arts

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