Melody Gardot
With such an amazing surname combining the words Garbo and Bardot, you could be forgiven for believing Melody Gardot was destined for a career in
the movies. However in the end it was her first name that took the lead
Blessed with incredible charisma and a beautiful voice, the captivating
twenty-seven year old singer, guitarist and pianist will be coming to this year’s Prague Proms to win over the hearts and souls of her listeners.
Despite hailing from a musical family, Melody Gardot says it never occurred to her to become a professional musician. After being knocked down from
her bike by a car in 2003 and sustaining a brain injury, her doctor suggested music therapy as part of her rehabilitation. Listening to music and
trying to sing helps the brain find new pathways and pushes the mind to go on and on. She started off learning to hum and later managed to sing and
record her attempts. She made huge strides and eventually decided to start writing her own songs.
So far Melody Gardot has released eleven
singles, some of which we can expect to hear at the concert along with tracks from her latest album “Currency of Man” released in 2015. Compared to
her previous albums, we can trace more references to soul, funk and American West Coast gospel vibes here - both in terms of the music as well as
the lyrics. The songs were heavily influenced by the people she met in Los Angeles including a great many homeless. She tells their stories,
exposing socially taboo topics and describing the lies of people on the fringes of society.