Melanie Safka, known professionally as ‘Melanie,’ first made waves in the folk music scene when she played at Woodstock. Since that time, Melanie has made quite a name for herself, accumulating accolades the include:
- Becoming Billboard’s 1970 Female Vocalist of the Year
- More than 80 million records sold
- An Emmy award
- A #1 hit song (Brand New Key)
- Musical plays
- Motherhood
- Appearances before the General Assembly of the United Nations as a UNICEF ambassador
After 40 years in the business, Melanie continues to impress. From joining forces with Miley Cyrus to empower homeless LGBT youth in 2016, to performing at the SummerStage series in Central Park NYC for Music + Revolution later this year, the singer/songwriter’s voice is one of empowerment. She essentially embodies the Woodstock movement to this day, via her stances on world peace and her alignment with United for Human Rights.
When asked about her musical influences, Melanie says, “My mom was a jazz singer, and she’d take me to the all the clubs, so I had a strong jazz influence. As a teenager, I also got very into Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya, and Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith — solo women who sing their hearts out, all that really hit me. But my soul music was folk. At 16, my dad bought me a Joan Baez album and that was it,” she said. “I started singing out, my mom would take me to the folk clubs in the Village and I was also singing on the street, in Washington Square.”
Melanie will be in concert at acQua Restaurant in Buffalo on Sunday, August 5th, where she will be treating her fans to a range of songs, including a few new ones from her recently released record, Ragamuffin.
The show begins at 8 pm on Sunday August 5th at acQua Restaurant, with doors at 6 pm. Dinner and drinks are available. Tickets are $40 for general admission and $75 for VIP Meet and Greet admission. Buy tickets online at eventbrite.com. acQua Restaurant is located at 2192 Niagara Street in Buffalo. For more about the restaurant, visit eventsatthefoundry.com or call 716-874-5400. For more about Melanie, see www.melaniesafka.com.
Photos courtesy publicist Donna Mavity