Primary Instrument: Vocal
Marta Gomez started her musical studies at the age of six in her native Colombia when she entered the Liceo Benalcazar choir being its soloist for ten years. In 1993 Marta moved to the capital of her country to continue her musical studies at the Javeriana University and In the summer of 1999 she entered the Berklee College of Music where she received the “Best Achievement Scholarship” and the “Alex Ulanowsky” composition award before graduating magna cum laude under the Professional Music degree program. with more of 70 composed songs, She has also developed an extensive studio career recording for radio and TV for more than ten years in her native Colombia, and in the States.
In 2001 Marta recorded a self-titled CD and in 2003 she released Solo es vivir (BigSur records) that was chosen by The Boston Globe as one of the 10 best albums of the year. This young singer and songwriter not only traverses a whole range of Colombian cumbias and bambucos, Argentine zambas, Cuban sones and Peruvian landos but she also writes the kind of melodies and refrains that translate across whatever language she is singing in.
In March of 2003, Marta’s song “Paula Ausente” based on the book Paula by Isabel Allende, won the The SIBL Project International songwriting contest as the best song inspired by a South American book. The song was included on a CD among others by artists such as Tom Waits and David Bowie. Only a month later the same year, Marta was chosen by Bonnie Raitt to open her concert at the Orpheum Theater in Boston with Grammy winner John Mayer.
in September 2003, Marta shared the stage with Argentinean singer Mercedes Sosa at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston. Her song “La Ronda” was included in the Putumayo World Music compilation entitled Women of Latin America and for its release concert, Marta had the oportunity to share the stage with colombian singer Toto la Momposina. On May 2004, WGBH’s (National Public Television) show “La plaza” featured Marta as the artist of the month and on December she was interviewed by Steve Inskeep on National Public Radio. In 2004 Marta signed a record deal with New York-based lable Chesky Records and recorded the album Cantos de Agua Dulce that was included in the Billboard top ten charts and later on was nominated for the Billboard Latin Music Awards as the best Latin Jazz Album of the year with Paco de Lucia, Nestor Torres, charlie Haden and Gonzalo Rubalcaba. In May 2005 Marta was chosen by “Fucsia” a Colombian magazine as of the 25 Most representative Colombian women of the year.
