About Martha

MEETING MARTHA D. LEWIS 

The ability of an artist to reinvent themselves and evolve is often a keynote for a long and successful career. Martha D. Lewis has such an ability.

Since the start of her career in the 1990s, award-winning British-Cypriot music maker Martha D. Lewis has appeared on over 15 live television performances with over 100 national and international radio interviews.
Trail-blazing beginnings as one half of the creative duo ‘Donna and Kebab’ (with Eve Polycarpou) saw live performances at The Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall. Martha + Eve released 3 records and were festival favourites taking to the stage at Glastonbury Festival, Reading Festival et al. 

From 2000, Martha has released 2 solo albums of contemporary jazz world music been featured in numerous world and jazz festivals including many appearances at the EFG London Jazz festival.

An established music maker whose credits include composing for film, TV, theatre and commissions. 

Martha is a member of the Jazz Council at the Ivors Academy, where she also provides music career mentorship for emerging young artists for Help Musicians UK.

Since 1996, Martha has directed the Independent Record label Budd.

Martha has primarily been programmed and listed as a jazz singer-songwriter, but her musical genre is multi-dimensional taking in blues, world and art-pop.

Martha is previously well-known for her emotive interpretations of 1920’s Greek blues, providing a new contribution to the borders of world and contemporary jazz music. Martha’s new release sees giant leaps as a jazz singer – songwriter, signalling a new direction of artistic growth.

Before this…

Martha was presenter and singer in the Globally released feature-film documentary entitled ‘My Sweet Canary’. The film about the life and work of the first Lady of the Greek Blues – Roza Eskenazy – inspired Martha’s 2016 CD release ‘Homage To Roza’ .

Featuring the legendary drummer Jack De Johnette, the album was a stimulating new contribution to the margins and borders of World music fusing the urban blues of Athens in the 1920’s with Urban London. The courageous interpretations and arrangements of music from 20’s-50’s marked the meeting and melting pot of Eastern Mediterranean music and contemporary jazz.

Background

• British-born Cypriot Martha Demetri Lewis’ career was launched with the much-acclaimed award winning music-comedy duo Donna & Kebab in the early 1990s. This long term and ongoing creative partnership with singer musician actress Eve Polycarpou rapidly accumulated TV, radio and theatre credits. The duo have toured throughout UK Europe and Middle East.

• In 1995, renamed Martha and Eve the duo focused their attention on their prolific songwriting skills and have recorded three albums, a club single and a DVD of their show ‘Live at the Hackney Empire’. This creative partnership continues. View www.marthaandeve.co.uk for more details. 

• Martha’s solo project ‘Café Aman’ was launched in 1999 following a commission by The Arts Council of Great Britain for a 30-minute musical work. This work was broadcast by BBC Radio 3 in its entirety and began her journey as a composer. Martha has since received numerous commissions for music work including further works for the Arts Council, PRS foundation, London Arts Board, music festivals, a short film, theatre plays as well as title and incidental music for documentaries. 

• Martha holds a Master’s Degree in Songwriting and a B.A (Hons) Music Degree.

• Concerts and Festivals played numerous times include: Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Rooms,The Jazz Cafe , Royal Academy of the Arts, Glastonbury Festival, EFG London Jazz Festival, Reading Festival, Brighton Festival, Bath Jazz Festival, Small Nations, Brighton Fringe, City of London Festival, Thames Festival, Cheltenham Festival, Latitude Festival, Chichester Festival.

• All Albums available on all digital outlets as well as HMV retail.

• A physical copy of the albums is also available via our easy to use SHOP page.