About this Artist
JANICE-MARIE is unquestionably not the new kid on the block. Nor is she unfamiliar with the intricate machinations of the music industry. As founder and principal songwriter of the internationally acclaimed and Grammy award-winning group A Taste of Honey, Janice-Marie is back in the spotlight with the release of her first solo effort, Hiatus of the Heart, and her latest single, "Until The Eagle Falls," which garnered Janice-Marie the Producer of the Year 2002 Nammy Award (Native American Music Award), along with three additional Nammy nominations.
A brief glance at Janice-Marie's musical accolades may seem daunting to both insiders and outsiders alike. A Taste of Honey's self-titled debut
release rocked the record industry in more ways than one. It featured the
multi-platinum smash hit "Boogie Oogie Oogie," a Janice-Marie penned composition, which garnered the group a Grammy for "Best New Artist of the Year," and nominations for "Best R&B Single" and "Best Vocal Performance by a Group or Duo." While this was a phenomenal accomplishment, it was no fluke. Their second release, Another Taste earned international acclaim by walking away with the coveted Gold Prize at the "8th Annual Tokyo Music Festival," with Janice-Marie also receiving the Gold Prize for songwriter. The Janice-Marie composition "Do It Good" was also certified gold in Japan.
Some may say that success comes easy. Perhaps when speaking of
Janice-Marie, it's more correct to say that success comes naturally. Today, she resumes her rightful place in the forefront of the music arena. Not to be labeled with a specific genre, sound or style, Janice-Marie confides, "I like a variety of
music including Classical, Funk, Cultural, World, Raggae, Country, Pop, R&B, Native American and Jazz. "Most of all, I like music that speaks to my heart, my soul and my spirit."
Case in point, A Taste of Honey's third release, Twice As Sweet. Her talented magic transformed Japan's Kyu Sakamoto's 1963 hit "Sukiyaki" into an international mega hit. Produced by George Duke, it was certified gold in both the United States and Japan, along with "Rescue Me," another single from the same album.
Through the years, Janice-Marie's songs have been covered, sampled, and borrowed many times. Her music of yesterday is greatly responsible for the success of numerous R&B, pop, rap and hip hop hits of today. Her music has been featured by a host of artists including Ice Cube, Mary J. Blige, MC Lyte, Positive K, Pure Sugar, and European artists Martin Carboo and Peter Andre. Her music has also been showcased on a multitude of television programs, movies, and local and national television commercials.
Always full of personality and style, Janice-Marie has performed/appeared on American Bandstand's 50th Anniversary Television Special, Celebrity Family Feud, Extra!, VH1, E! Entertainment, The TV Guide Channel, not to mention a multitude of local news programs including NBC's Today in New York and ABC's Eywitness News.
After such an extended period working behind the scenes, Janice-Marie the record producer, musician, songwriter and entertainer is once again returning to the limelight with the release of her long-awaited CD Hiatus Of The Heart and Until The Eagle Falls.
Billboard Magazine proclaims, "...the wait has been worth it. This set of flavored R&B/pop heralds a mix of dance, mid-tempo tunes, and ballads that wrap themes of life and love around African and Caribbean rhythms, as well as rock, reggae, and jazz."
Janice-Marie also began exploring her Native American heritage on
this release with "Let Love Rain Down," a tribute to her Stockbridge-Munsee-Mohican ancestry and tribal roots in Wisconsin. She is also studying 'Fancy Shawl
Dancing' with Romona Roach of Gallup New Mexico. To top things off,
Janice-Marie song, "Hiatus of the Heart," was nominated for a Native American Music Award in the category of "Best Song/Single of the Year." She was the headliner at the Nammy award ceremony, October 20, 2001. Her new single "Until The Eagle Falls" won Janice-Marie the 'Producer of the Year' award at the 2002 Nammys, as well as three additional nomination for Artist of the Year, Song/Single of the Year, and Best Short or Long Video.
Janice-Marie closed the 4th Annual Native American Music Awards show
with a sensational performance. Joining her on stage was Nammy award-winner, Robert "Tree" Cody as well as world renowned 'fancy dancer' Norman, Romona and Shannon Roach. The performance left the entire audience on their feet singing
her world-wide hit song "Boogie Oogie Oogie." News from Indian Country says, "Janice-Marie's performance had the crowd dancing and forgetting all about the chill in the air. She was fabulous, a dichotomy as she walked out on stage in an elegant silver dress and then "got down' playing the bass with passion as she belted out "Boogie Oogie Oogie,' her Grammy award-winning multi-platinum smash."
The Hiatus Of The Heart CD was produced by David Cochrane and Janice-Marie for Tastebuds Records, with John Barnes and Janice-Marie producing "Hiatus of the Heart II," a new dance mix of the title track and the bonus ballad, "Sayanora." The Lightyear Entertainment release is distributed in the US by WEA. "Until The Eagle Falls" was produced by Janice-Marie & John Barnes. The Tastebuds Records release is available at www.tastebudsrecords.com.