Cynthia Alexander
Encyclopedia
Cynthia Alexander is a highly respected singer-songwriter and musician in the Philippines
. Her music infuses prose-poetry and haunting melodies with indigenous Philippine and Asian rhythms. Known for her uncompromising artistic integrity, she has performed on many international stages including the Rainforest World Music Festival
in Malaysia, the Jack Daniel’s World Music Tour in Singapore
and the Southeast Asian Night Market Festival in New Zealand
. She also played gongs and bass on world tours (India, U.S., Japan, Canada) with Joey Ayala
at ang Bagong Lumad.
Cynthia’s solo debut album Insomnia & Other Lullabyes
was released in 1997 to much acclaim. She was awarded for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album at the Katha Music Awards in 1998. Her album Rippingyarns (2000) won Album of the Year, Best Alternative Music Album, Best Album Design and Producer of the Year (with Maly Andres) at the Katha Music Awards. She was also awarded Best Guitarist and Best Producer (with Angee Rozul) at the NU 107
Rock Awards for her third album, “Comet’s Tail” (2005). In 2009 she released a live album, Walk Down the Road
, to commemorate a decade of songwriting.
Cynthia is also a visual artist and the ad hoc curator of the Conspiracy Walls arts space in Manila, her paintings are currently touring with the Bae Mindanao exhibit in Rome
and Andorra
.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Her music infuses prose-poetry and haunting melodies with indigenous Philippine and Asian rhythms. Known for her uncompromising artistic integrity, she has performed on many international stages including the Rainforest World Music Festival
Rainforest World Music Festival
The Rainforest World Music Festival is an annual 3-day music festival celebrating the diversity of world music, held in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, with daytime music workshops, cultural displays, craft displays, food stalls, and main-stage evening concerts...
in Malaysia, the Jack Daniel’s World Music Tour in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and the Southeast Asian Night Market Festival in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. She also played gongs and bass on world tours (India, U.S., Japan, Canada) with Joey Ayala
Joey Ayala
Joey Ayala is a contemporary pop music artist in the Philippines. He is well known for his style of music that combines the sounds of Filipino ethnic instruments with modern pop music. His professional music career started when he released an album recorded in a makeshift-studio in 1982...
at ang Bagong Lumad.
Cynthia’s solo debut album Insomnia & Other Lullabyes
Insomnia & Other Lullabyes
Insomnia & Other Lullabyes is the debut album of independent Filipino singer-songwriter Cynthia Alexander released in 1996. The album received local critical acclaim, comparing Alexander to Joni Mitchell...
was released in 1997 to much acclaim. She was awarded for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album at the Katha Music Awards in 1998. Her album Rippingyarns (2000) won Album of the Year, Best Alternative Music Album, Best Album Design and Producer of the Year (with Maly Andres) at the Katha Music Awards. She was also awarded Best Guitarist and Best Producer (with Angee Rozul) at the NU 107
NU 107
NU107 was the flagship radio station of Progressive Broadcasting Corporation in the Philippines. The station's last studio was located at the ground floor, AIC Gold Tower, F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City....
Rock Awards for her third album, “Comet’s Tail” (2005). In 2009 she released a live album, Walk Down the Road
Walk Down the Road
Walk Down the Road is the first live album of independent Filipino singer-songwriter Cynthia Alexander released in 2009. It features her longtime Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad colleague Mlou Matute on piano, darbouka, backing vocals and kulintang; along with jazz bassist Simon Tan, young drummer...
, to commemorate a decade of songwriting.
Cynthia is also a visual artist and the ad hoc curator of the Conspiracy Walls arts space in Manila, her paintings are currently touring with the Bae Mindanao exhibit in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and Andorra
Andorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
.
Albums
- Insomnia & Other LullabyesInsomnia & Other LullabyesInsomnia & Other Lullabyes is the debut album of independent Filipino singer-songwriter Cynthia Alexander released in 1996. The album received local critical acclaim, comparing Alexander to Joni Mitchell...
(1996) - Rippingyarns (2000)
- Comet's Tail (2005)
- Walk Down the RoadWalk Down the RoadWalk Down the Road is the first live album of independent Filipino singer-songwriter Cynthia Alexander released in 2009. It features her longtime Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad colleague Mlou Matute on piano, darbouka, backing vocals and kulintang; along with jazz bassist Simon Tan, young drummer...
(2009)
Side projects
- REMIX (2003)
- Sita and Rama (2005)
- Mga Awit ng Magdaragat (2005)
- Pasasalamat (2008)
- Palay, Bigas, Kanin (2010)
- HUMANFOLKHUMANFOLKHUMANFOLK is the musical collaboration and concept band of guitarist-composer, Johnny Alegre with the New York based Fil-Am percussionist, Susie Ibarra and her husband, drummer Roberto Juan Rodriguez, together with the multi-instrumentalist Cynthia Alexander and the electronica exponent, Malek Lopez...
(2011)