Friday 13 Mar 2009

19.00, Lemon Monkey Cafe, 188 Stoke Newington High Street, London N16 7JD; Tel. 020 7241 4454
London-based Romanian singer-songwriter Monooka (also known as Monica Madas) performs in a live acoustic set at the Lemon Monkey. Amazing vocals, clean chords, rhymes full of feeling.

Monica Madas is a singer-songwriter and puppeteer. She graduated the University of Theatre and Film, UNATC-Bucharest, 2003. Between 2003-2005 she made an MA in animation movie at the same university. She worked in puppet theatres in Oradea and at ‘Tandarica’ Theatre in Bucharest, Romania, for a couple of years. In 2006 she made her first public appearance as a singer at the Art Jazz Club in Bucharest. After that she came with her first project, ‘Doina Jazzului’ with two talented musicians: Arthur Balogh (double bass) and George Dumitriu (guitar and violin). In the same year, they were nominated for the debut award in Romanian jazz. Monica’s music is a very original mix of pop, folk, jazz and traditional Romanian songs.

Other projects include Groovy Mama, where she approached acid jazz, and Jazz Do It, an experimental performance involving poetry, choreography and jazz improvisations. Since moving to London, Monica Madas / Monooka performed in various venues, such as Battersea Barge-on-Thames, Cafe Royal at Piccadilly, Proud Gallery Camden Town, Pangea Project, Cellar Door, or Spice of Life Soho, to name just a few.

Details on www.monooka.com