By Imogen Whale, Special to the Times Review
She has had singles played on several Canadian radio stations including Stoke FM and North by Northwest on CBC Radio Canada. Her recently released EP was recorded at a studio nominated for a Best Engineering Juno.
Meet Nina Amelio, a singer songwriter whose given name Christina Amelio may sound familiar to many Revelstokians. Nina was a Revelstoke Secondary School student who graduated in 2007.
She was a Revelstoke Ambassador in 2006/-07 and represented Revelstoke in the BC Ambassador competition in 2007. There she won medals for public speaking, community speech and fundraising in addition to a scholarship to Selkirk College, where she pursued a year of music performance.
Having performed throughout B.C. and twice in Mexica, Amelio describes her music as blues influenced.
“I’m also inspired by Adele and Amy Winehouse and cover several of their songs,” she explained. While she plays both piano and guitar, she laughs when asked if she plays while she performs. “I can’t multi task.”
In 2010, Amelio auditioned for the American reality TV singing talent show The Voice. Ineligible to compete as a Canadian, the casting director called her regardless, letting her know how much he enjoyed her audition.
Subsequently, this past June she partook in a sing off at The Voice pre show, which she won. It was a cue to the young musician that she was following the right path when people kept coming up to her, enquiring why she wasn’t on the show and letting her know if she was, they would vote for her.
“I told them I was Canadian. They were trying to give me ideas of how to come to the USA,” she said. “It was validating.”
One of Amelio’s most surreal moments in the music industry was discovering her single Only Human was being played on North by Northwest on CBC Radio Canada.
“I was about to play an event,” she said, “and the sound technician mentioned how great it was I was being played on North by Northwest. I had no idea!”
Amelio is currently living in Castlegar and works as a vocal instructor at Supercat Studios, a studio and music school known for its performances. This summer, two of her students placed first and second in their respective groups in the Kootenays Best Singer Competition which featured talents from throughout the East and West Kootenays.
Revelstoke residents can catch Amelio during Homecoming this Saturday, Aug. 16, at 4 p.m. in Grizzly Plaza. She will be accompanied on guitar by Yanive Serini, owner of Sugarcat Studios. Audiences should come expecting a fun show.
“There will be soulful songs as well as some you can get up and dance to,” Amelio said. “I’ll be playing my own music as well as covering other musicians songs.”
Her recently released EP will be available for purchase at Grizzly Plaza. The EP sells for $7 and is made of four original songs: Only Human, Tides, Sweet Little Songs and Fool Out Of Me, as well as two live covers.
Be sure to check out Amelio’s website, www.ninaamelio.com or follow her on twitter @ninaAmelio.
