Edie Daponte’s “I Wish You Love” concert will showcase a repertoire that crosses genres and spans languages.
She will perform her new love- and Valentine’s-themed show at Knox United Church (345 Pym St.) in Parksville on Feb. 12.
Daponte is known for singing in multiple languages, including French, Spanish and Portuguese, and the afternoon’s theme will be the language of love.
The show takes its name from the song ‘I Wish You Love’ by the English singer Vera Lynn.
“There’s a lot of fan favourites,” Daponte said. “Some of my originals like ‘Little Town by the Sea’, ‘Sliver of Time’, so there’s some songs I will be performing they’ve heard before.”
A few of her original pieces are especially relatable for Vancouver Islanders. ‘Little Town by the Sea’, inspired by Sidney, is a love song about growing old together by the ocean.
“I try to change up my shows so that if you’re coming for the second or third time that there’s some new music,” Daponte said.
‘Island Rain’ won the Vancouver Island Music Award for ‘Jazz Recording of the Year’ in 2017.
“That song is a love song to nature, to Vancouver Island. It’s a postcard, I guess, of love,” Daponte said.
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‘La Vie en Rose’, made famous by French singer Edith Piaf, has become an audience favourite Daponte is looking forward to sharing with her Parksville fans.
She will share the stage with a talented band featuring Joey Smith on bass, Attila Fias on piano and Damian Graham on drums.
Fias, also a composer, recently moved to Victoria from Toronto and quickly gained a big following in his new community, Daponte said.
Smith, who toured with the Glenn Miller Orchestra for several years as an arranger and bassist, is a long-time friend and collaborator. He and Daponte have played together for 10 years.
“If anyone is someone who goes to a lot of concerts, they’ll know Joey Smith, he’s one of those first call players,” she said.
Graham, who spent time growing up in Parksville, rounds out the band on percussion.
“We all love to connect with the audience,” Daponte said.
“We have that same approach, that we’re not playing for each other, we really do feel that connection with the audience and bond with them.”
The audience will be encouraged to sing along for a couple of songs, she added.
Daponte has won numerous awards, including Vancouver Island Music Awards ‘Vocalist of the Year’ in 2016.
Her original song “Ride the Wind” was nominated in the ‘Traditional’ category for the 2017 International Portuguese Music Awards (IPMA).
Daponte’s song ‘Young at Heart’ was nominated in 2016 for ‘Best Album – Jazz with Vocals’ by the Independent Music Awards.
The concert begins at 2 p.m. Daponte said the 90-minute show will finish just in time for football fans to catch the Superbowl.
Tickets are $30 and available at Parksville retailers Close to You Ladies Fashions and Fireside Books, as well as online at Eventbrite.
