The third and final concert in our new outdoor summer series is a special one-of-a-kind show.
Singer-songwriter Paula Neder will close out the Strada Coffee Co. & Artisan Bakery Summer on the Plaza series after a special residency and tour across Alberta. Playing on the Verda McNeill Plaza outside the Jeanne and Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre on Friday, Aug. 18, Neder’s performance will be the perfect show to close out our newest series.
For Neder, this will be an experience to celebrate music and connect with others.
“It’s like a dream come true that my songs and music take me to Canada,” said Neder. “That was a place that I saw like a paradise in the movies. I never even dreamed of being there with my music.”
In preparation, the Mendoza, Argentina singer has been practicing her English and readying herself for an awesome tour. “Even though we don’t speak the same language, I’m hoping music is the bridge to connect with people.”
This trip is going to be more than a tour, it’s also a songwriting opportunity. Before her performance in Camrose, Neder will take part in a special one-day residency with Ryan Lindsay who helped kick-off the Lougheed Centre’s season launch in June.
“I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s a dream come true when Nick (the centre’s GM) showed me the whole tour and all the venues that have joined the tour,” said Neder, adding that someone should wake her up from this dream.
How did we hear about Paula Neder?
Nick Beach, GM for the Jeanne and Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre, discovered Neder during a special trade mission to Columbia last year. The trip allowed Canadian presenters a chance to see international artists on stage.
When it came time for Neder to perform, she wanted everything to work like clockwork.
“For me, not just in the showcase, but every time I do a performance and every time I’m in that sacred act that is singing, I sing as if it is my first and last time on stage,” explained Neder.
“I decided to begin the showcase singing from outside the theatre and enter singing with my tambora (a two headed drum).”
“I said, ‘Hey, here I am. Here I come with my singing.’ And well, it really went well. People were participating and singing and clapping,” added Neder.
With so many different artists performing during that busy trip, Neder knew she touched the hearts of the audience and changed the spirit of the day.
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What is Neder’s music like?
“I think it’s a mixture of Argentina rock and Argentinian folk music,” she said.
Neder’s path to music is an interesting one; she has studied graphic design and law but neither profession inspired her and she doesn’t have a background in music. She says a few folks were surprised to see become a performer but it’s a decision she hasn’t looked back on.
The change has brought Neder to a new world of possibilities and this North American tour is another step in that artistic and creative process.
What is Neder excited for?
“To celebrate the connection of people, other cultures and musicians.”
The tour is serendipitous too, Neder will be celebrating the first release of her upcoming album while on tour. The full album will be released on all platforms in November but fans will be able to enjoy the single in a few weeks.
The next performance in our season is Rapid Fire Theatre’s TedxRFT, set for Friday, Sept. 8.
