Martine

Biography

“You thought I’d be salty as cheese, sweet as chocolate, smart, sharp as an army knife” ~swiss girl, martine
Sassy, energetic, insightful. Far from the quiet image that we may have of Switzerland, the Lausanne singer-songwriter has been thriving across Montreal and Seattle for the last 15 years. Back in the country since the summer 2013, Martine takes up the stage and presents us with her new compositions in English and French. Her lyrics caustic, plain funny or sad, intertwine themselves with catchy melodies and within a diversity of genre. A groovy pop then, with a touch of jazz, soul, funk or bossa depending on the artist's mood and the storytelling. For during a show, Martine is "the girl next door", sharing herself with an irresistible combination of musical sophistication and familiarity, leaving us energized, touched, but mostly less lonely.

Martine's calling for music comes early on in a house where everyone is encouraged to play an instrument. After years of classical violin and choral singing at the Orchestre des Collèges de Lausanne and Chœur de Béthusy, Martine gives in to her passion for jazz and enrolls in Lausanne EJMA Jazz School. She continues her training in Seattle (Cornish College of the Arts) and Montréal (University of Montreal) where she obtains a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Music in 2003. These international academic studies give her the opportunity to work with renowned musicians from different musical backgrounds, such as Greta Matassa or Randy Halberstadt, who reinforce her attachment to jazz and improvisation and with Yakup Trana, MTV award Nominee, with whom she co-produces her first original album “Swiss Girl”, released in 2011.