BIO CRISTINA & THE PULSE OF THE EARTH Cristina Morrison, singer, songwriter, actor & producer. She was born in Miami, Florida. A multi-cultural woman not only because of her origin (Ecuadorian-American) but because of her true love for life & modern day lifestyle. She has lived in many places and she feel at ease everywhere: Quito, Rome, Miami, Los Angeles, New York City and her beloved Galapagos Islands. From her teenage years Cristina showed a passion for performing arts. At age 16 in Quito, Ecuador (her mother's native country) she was cast to play as an abused young wife in a TV pilot. Soon after she debuts on stage & starts singing in a rock & roll cover band. She then knows that these crafts would be her passion and destiny. Morrison enrolled in La Scaletta Theatre School in Rome where her first formal drama training began and in the eternal city she learned the art of cuisine & to speak Italian fluently. A few years later, Cristina got accepted into the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts in California and continued her training. After graduating Morrison returned to Ecuador and started working immediately in theatre & TV. Credits include: Los Sangurimas, Se que vienen a matarme, A Devil in Paradise (docu-drama reflecting the human stories throughout centuries in the Galapagos Islands) In this production she played a German baroness that arrives to Floreana Island accompanied by her three lovers. While on location she fell in love with the archipelago. Around the same time in Quito she was turning a farfetched dream into reality and opened El Socavon de Guapulo, a theatre foundation of which she was executive director for 6 years. Cristina produced plays & performed with her jazz band The Baroness & her Lovers as El Socavon rapidly became an important performing space for the country due to it s unique concept. THE JAZZ BEAT OF GALAPAGOS- INSPIRATION & GIVING BACK As a natural course of events due to Cristina s work in the Galapagos on A Devil in Paradise (Discovery Channel) life took a turning point and in 1998 she moved to Santa Cruz Island until 2004. The Enchanted Islands became her soul place , they gave her writing & singing. The fact of being in touch with raw nature & far from civilization was the key to inspiration, to connect with her thoughts & feelings and put them down on paper. My soul has to be printed , a curious phrase, kept coming back. Morrison didn t know what this meant until some years later when she was back on the islands the idea of producing her original jazz album, I LOVE, came to life. In Galapagos she wrote many lyrics like Perfect Little Storms & Fifteen Day Affair that can be heard on the album. They talk about loves in her life: Her two sons, New York, Galapagos, New Orleans, love stories.
Morrison was joined by superb jazz musicians & by her partner in crime Christian Hidrobo for the recording at Bennett Studios. I LOVE s first copies were sold in none other place than the Galapagos Islands. Cristina s connection to the archipelago and her commitment to it s people has led her to support and sponsor ARTEDUCARTE, an arts educational program created originally by the Guggenheim Museum and installed in Ecuador in 2000 by Mc Tohme. A program by which teachers & artists work hand in hand with low income children who don t have access to art in public schools. By tying educational concepts from their school curriculum to concrete artistic endeavors: murals, ceramics, paper mache, drawing, installations, mobiles, these children are taken onto a journey of discovery through which their self esteem grows as well as awareness, trust, and most of all, a chance to truly express themselves while learning. Taking into consideration that Galapagos is a unique place on Earth and needs a unique vision, the program has been customized to take care of issues like natural surroundings, recycling, animal protection, species introduction, understanding sources of energy and such. By the end of the program an exhibit is organized where all the kids artwork are shown. To keep supporting ARTEDUCARTE a PERCENTAGE of I LOVE sales is donated to the Isabela chapter program. AND NOW? In 2009 Cristina moved to New York City from Miami, where she spent 5 years. Now in New York she keeps growing as an artist. I LOVE s release took place in Spring of 2012 & since then you can catch Cristina performing at The Metropolitan Room, Somethin Jazz Club, Nuyorican Poet s Cafe and she has started her I LOVE TOUR 2012-2013 (Nyc, Miami, Quito, Guayaquil & other cities TBA) The disc has received excellent reviews from specialized media & recurrent airplay on US radios. In theatre, Off Broadway credits include: Operation Sidewinder by Shepard & Enemies, a Love Story by Bashevis Singer. Morrison has also just finished shooting FERIADO, an Ecuadorian feature film directed by Diego Araujo where she s credited as an associate producer as well. Lastly, Cristina holds a beautifully written poetic play, The Aging of the Plum by Aristides Vargas, in repertoire portraying 5 women throughout three generations. Cristina is currently bound towards new exciting & creative projects and is thinking about her next album. THEY SAY...MANY THINGS... Cristina has been defined by the press as a strong character, passionate, go getter independent woman, a cross between bohemian, sweet, nature child and worldly sophistication, a mixed background with many influences that have made her music, life, art and personality a very exotic & interesting one. A modern day gypsy: The Baroness of the Galapagos.
MUSIC
THE JAZZ BEAT OF GALAPAGOS "I Love", original jazz solo album, lyrics & vocals Cristina Morrison l l l l
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Music, arrangements & alto sax: Christian Hidrobo Trumpet: Walter Szymanski Piano: Steve Einerson Drums: Wiilard Dyson
Acoustic bass: Marcus Mc.Laurine Electric bass: Alex Alvear Guitar: Vinny Valentino Harmonica: Gregoire Maret Percussion: Sammy Torres Baritone sax: Alex Harding Requinto: Nadijio Cevallos Back up vocals: Nanda Proano
Recorded & Mixed by Alessandro Perrotta @ Bennett Studios- Englewood, NJ Recording of "requinto" & back up vocals by Pierre Marocco @ Ozland Studios - Quito, Ecuador Mastering by Steve Fallone @ Sterling Sound – NYC Released April 2012 by Baronesa Records ©2012
PRESS 2012 TOUR PHOTOS
THEATRE
FILM & TV
PHOTOS
COVERS
VENUES
VIDEOS
CONTACT
WEBSITE: http://www.cristinamorrison.com MUSIC: http://www.cristinamorrisonilove.com MANAGEMENT: Olga de Bartolome: olga.debartolome@gmail.com More info: infocm@cristinamorrison.com