Olga Munding
Louisiana blues from a worldly soul
Click the "music" section
of Olga Munding's Web
site and listen to any of her songs, and it is easy to recognize her
talents. Munding is a singer, songwriter, and actress in New Orleans, by way of
San Francisco. Trained in the north Mississippi blues by "an old blues
woman, Jessie Mae Hemphill," Munding uses music to tell her unique life
story.
Munding's parents came to the United
States from Innsbruck, Austria, in the late 1960s. What was supposed to be a
short stay in America became a permanent relocation, and Munding was born and
raised in San Francisco. She now considers New Orleans her home, after moving
from the Bay Area more than a decade ago.
"I had the most profound feeling
the first time I ever visited," Munding said of New Orleans, "that
this was where I was supposed to be." That's a telling sentiment,
considering how much of the world Munding saw as she grew up. "I have been
fortunate enough to be able to visit my relatives in Austria and to travel
around Europe many times since I was a child," she said. "I am
American, but also Austrian. It's a special balance of two worlds, I
think."
Munding brings that balance to her
music. She writes music, sings songs, and plays shows locally and overseas. She
recently finished a new album she hopes to release later in 2010. Listen to the
sample recordings on her site and you will understand the comparisons she said
she receives to blues legend Bonnie Raitt.
In addition to playing shows in and
around New Orleans, Munding is involved in other programs throughout her
community. "I belong to an all-woman Mardi Gras Krewe, called Krewe of
Muses," she said. "I've been lucky to meet a wonderful array of
strong, creative women through the Krewe." This group parades the Thursday
night before Fat Tuesday and is known for throwing hand-decorated shoes to the
crowd. "They are a hot commodity in this town!" Munding said.
Despite her travels and her time
spent composing and performing music, Munding always makes time to participate
in the Gallup Panel. "I am very outspoken with my thoughts and opinions,
and have always been a voice especially for those who are unable to stand up
for themselves," she said. "I have had this trait since I was a kid.
Sometimes it has been good, sometimes bad, but I can't imagine being any other
way."
Munding said participating in the Panel allows her to connect
with others independent of the filtered media. "I don't believe we are
getting the real news from the mainstream media," she said. "The
Panel is real people connecting and sharing their thoughts."
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