The band that has touched notes in 25 languages for 30 years: Who founded Pink Martini?
The group Pink Martini contributes to the universality of music by singing in 25 languages. Pink Martini is an American band founded in 1994 by pianist Thomas Lauderdale in Portland, Oregon. Group members call it a little orchestra that crosses several styles, such as classical, Latin, traditional pop, and jazz.
Founded in 1994 in Portland, USA by Harvard graduate Thomas Mack Lauderdale, who studied classical piano, the band has performed with famous orchestras such as The Boston Pops, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 1995, Lauderdale's Harvard classmate China Forbes joined the orchestra, which had a political stance and performed in charity and awareness-raising organizations of non-governmental organizations.
Pink Martini is an American band founded in 1994 by pianist Thomas Lauderdale in Portland, Oregon. Group members call it a little orchestra that crosses several styles, such as classical, Latin, traditional pop, and jazz. The co-lead vocalists of Pink Martini are China Forbes and Storm Large.
Reaching huge sales figures in a short time with their albums, Pink Martini became internationally famous with its nominations in the "Song of the Year" and "Best New Artist" categories at France's Victoires de la Musique Awards when it released its debut album "Sympathique" in 1997.
From The West Wing to Desperate Housewives, Pink Martini sings many different pieces from samurai love songs to 1930s Cuban music, from French chansons to Brazilian street songs.
In the album "Get Happy" released in 2013, American musicians included the song "Üsküdar" as a surprise to Turkish music lovers, in addition to popular works such as "Quizas Quizas Quizas", "Sway", "Smile". Pink Martini released the album "Je Dis Qui", which includes 15 songs in 8 languages, in the fall of 2016, and interpreted the song "My Love is Bahardı" for Turkish music lovers.
The most frequently asked question to the group's lead singer, China Forbes, is:
Does your Pink Martini always make happy songs?
China Forbes answers that question as follows:
- I can evaluate the music we make as full of life. Songs that blend melodic structures, rhythms, and dance. The expression “Get happy” also has a pessimistic side. The theme of "if you are not happy, you can be happy if you want" is dominant.