Amanda Martinez with Kevin Laliberte

Amanda Martinez is a Canadian singer-songwriter whose music is an original blend of influences from her Mexican and South African roots.

Amanda credits her longtime band for being a huge support to her career. “They are world class musicians who I feel lucky to play with. Each one contributes to our overall sound.” Her band features her long time guitarist and now-producer Kevin Laliberté, husband/bassist Drew Birston, and Cuban Canadians Rosendo “Chendy” Leon (percussion), Alexander Brown (trumpet), Osvaldo Rodriguez (violin) and Pablosky Rosales (tres). She often tours with Mexican bassist Paco Luviano.

She has released four albums and her latest recording Libre is her most eclectic creation to date. Her songs have been selected for four Putumayo world music collections.

Career highlights include headlining the Blue Note jazz club in NYC, the FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the Pan American Games in Mexico and Canada. She has also been a guest recording and touring artist of award winning guitarist Jesse Cook. She has sold out Toronto’s Koerner Hall multiple times and Ottawa’s National Arts Centre and Winter Garden Theatre.

Amanda recently release the album "Recuerdo" – which can be translated as “I Remember”

in English – is Martinez’s response to the recent passing of her father Gustavo, from whom she inherited her love of music and zest for life. Gustavo arrived in Canada in 1956, riding his bicycle all the way to Toronto from Mexico City in 83 days. He landed in Canada speaking no English, but still managed to graduate at the top of his engineering class at the University of Toronto at age 30.