AN INTERNATIONAL SONG AND VIDEO COLLABORATION 
PRODUCED BY GISUN, ADA LEA, SANS SOUCIS
BIANCA MUÑIZ, JOY MORALES AND LUZ PINOS 

INITIATIVE DEVELOPED DURING THE PANDEMIC
PARTNERS WITH MUSIC HEALS TO SPREAD AWARENESS ON THE POWER OF MUSIC THERAPY

LISTEN TO THE SONG AND WATCH THE VIDEO

Toronto, ON – February 10, 2021 – Music provided sonic support for the world during 2020, and it is helping us move into a new year. For Toronto and Vancouver– based singer-songwriter, Gisun, this arrives via The Gracias a la Vida Project – a collaborative, philanthropic music initiative crossing an array of countries and communities. Today, Gisun launches the project with the release of Gracias a la Vida (thanks to life) – a special cover of Chilean singer Violeta Parra’s iconic 1966 song. Produced with friends and former colleagues from her time at the New School and beyond, Gisun gathered a diverse ensemble of five vocalists to create a unique take, each person contributing a verse with their own flair. The project is partnering with Music Heals is to bring attention to the importance of music therapy, where proceeds of the song will be donated to support their work and to encourage public involvement – you can learn more and contribute to the fundraiser here. Listen to the song and watch the video here.

“Despite such a hard year, for all of us around the globe, we have been given the gift of family and togetherness during a time where plague has riddled us with separation and loneliness. It brings such happiness to be able to sing the words gracias a la vida, as we are grateful that it has given us a united family. This is a time where gratefulness can really help us heal, spiritually and physically. Through re-connectivity with others and ourselves, we have regained a deeper appreciation for community, family, and friends,” says the ensemble on The Gracias a la Vida Project. “Gracias a la Vida is an interesting song, because it stands in the midst of forking paths. On one hand, this song has become a global song of humanism and of hope. But on the other, this is the goodbye letter of songwriter Violeta Parra to the world. Being able to expand on the possibilities of collaborating with musicians from around the world has been a shining light.”

The Gracias a la Vida Project was developed in the early stages of the pandemic as Gisun reflected on daily gratitude. Throughout this very transformational year, she especially connected with the Mercedes Sosa version (Homenaje a Violeta Parra) of Gracias a la Vida. The ensemble voices have roots in Canada, the US, the UK, Italy, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Korea, Colombia, Uruguay, Ecuador, Puerto Rico and beyond, with experience in volunteer work and community engagement.  As it is one of the most widely covered Latin songs to date, Gisun gathered an incredible team of artists within the Latin American Diaspora to bring an array of styles and backgrounds into the fold; Montreal, Quebec’s Ada Lea, Italian-Congolese artist, Sans Soucis, and two artists based in New York: Bianca Muñiz, Joy Morales, and Guayaquil, Ecuador-based, Luz Pinos. In addition, guitarists, Stephen Orr and  Alper Tuzcu, perform on the track.  You can learn more about the featured artists below.   

The video was produced by Rodrigo Ferrat, compiling performance videos independently filmed by each artist. With an aim to reach a global audience, particularly connecting with Latin American communities, the music video includes closed captions in English, French, Italian, and Portuguese. 

Canadian singer-songwriter Gisun is influenced by her Uruguayan background and South Korean roots to showcase her own style of Latin and soul-inspired music. Her songs weave together stories that reflect distinct chapters and stages of life. Since 2017, she has released three EPs: Suspiras, Partes, and Fin, in collaboration with musicians and sound engineers in New York, Spain, Toronto, and Vancouver. Currently, Gisun is working on her first full-length album with musicians from all over the world. 

Music Heals increases access to music therapy for patients in children’s hospitals, seniors centres, palliative care, AIDS & HIV programs, at-risk youth, rehabilitation, and bereavement support. To date Music Heals has funded over 32,000 music therapy sessions. You can learn more about Music Heals and support the organization by donating or getting involved here. 

Listen to Gracias a la Vida | Watch Gracias a la Vida

Support The Gracias a la Vida Project

DOWNLOAD – Hi Res Artwork | DOWNLOAD – Hi Res Press Photos

Connect with The Gracias A La Vida Project:

www.gisunmusic.com

About Ada Lea
Less than a year after the release of her highly-acclaimed debut album, what we say in private, Montreal, Quebec-based musician Alexandra Levy - who records and performs as Ada Lea - returns in early 2020 with a new four-song EP which acts as a bridge between what’s come before and where she means to go next. 

A mix of both the old and new, the woman, here EP takes its name from a brand new composition recorded recently in LA with Marshall Vore (Phoebe Bridgers, Better Oblivion Community Center). Perhaps her most direct work to-date, the new song offers a beautiful glimpse into the bold new chapter of Ada Lea. "I went to LA and recorded the song in a day and a half with Marshall," Levy says of the song. "The writing and recording of this song happened like magic." 

Aside from the title-track, which is shared here alongside a raw and captivating demo version, the woman, here EP also offers two previously-unheard recordings from the what we say in private sessions, in the form of the reflective and melancholy ‘perfect world’, and the sparse and dream-like ‘jade’, which was inspired by a John Updike short story.  A fascinating glimpse behind the curtain, Levy says that the new EP should be seen as being "like a second cousin" to what we say in private.  ww.adaleamusic.com

About Bianca Muñiz
Bianca Muñiz is a New York based singer-songwriter and two-time cancer survivor. With a truly unique way of captivating the unspoken; she takes her listeners inside of her mind, painting unapologetic pictures of vulnerable yet passionate truths, while entangling them into her uplifting experiences, without any refrain. With music of such originality, it makes it difficult to categorize into one genre, she calls it avant-pop. 

In addition to her work as an artist, Bianca is a mental health and cancer awareness advocate and a New York Ambassador for The Breasties, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting young women affected by breast and reproductive cancers through community and friendship. In addition to her contributions in New York with The Breasties, Bianca has also worked with the nonprofit in Hawaii, London & Paris. www.biancamuniz.com

About Gisun
Gisun 지선 is a Canadian singer-songwriter influenced by her Uruguayan background and South Korean roots to showcase her own style of latin and soul-inspired sounds. She creates music in order to foster connections - with herself, stories, and with others. The process of songwriting is profound, resulting in artistic expressions that flow in the form of melodies and weaved words. 

Since 2017, she has released three EP's: Suspiras, Partes, and Fin in collaboration with musicians and sound engineers in New York, Spain, Toronto, and Vancouver. Currently, Gisun is working on her first full-length album with musicians from all over the world. 

During Gisun's time at Berklee Valencia, she created Speak for Music (SFM) - a spoken word poetry project that aims to develop creative writing skills through spoken word poetry and music. With a small team, she allocated the Berklee Diversity Grant in order to program workshops and guest lectures with audiovisual presentations. 

Later, Gisun partnered with SideDoor, a youth resource centre in Yellowknife providing housing and lifestyle development and coordinated songwriting workshops with Canadian artist Justin Nozuka. Her love for music and community engagement has led Gisun to create and facilitate initiatives that focus on the power of music. Visit Gisun on Instagram @gisunmusic.

About Joy Morales
Joy Morales deftly navigates the space between the discomfort of youth and the fearful void of modern adulthood. Her forthcoming EP “Neuma’s Cry” is the voice in the distance, comforting and rejoicing. Praising and still yearning while making its way into the foreground. Having played for artists like KIRBY, Anna Wise, Kadhja Bonet, Mafalda and more - Joy has taken her experiences on the road and behind the keyboard in order to bring forth her own sound. 

Tapping into psychedelic and emotional sounds harnessed by inspirations like Björk and Radiohead, Joy gives an immersive experience into her innermost thoughts. Illustrated in dialogues, with the main character being the self and each track a conversation with a different intangible character - her forthcoming project paints the dialogues in the mind; with God, the World, and the Body. Joy is a voice we need and a story that must be told. www.jemmusic1.wixsite.com/joymorales

About Sans Soucis
Drawing inspiration from a number of genre defying artists including Frank Ocean, Joni Mitchell, Lauryn Hill, James Blake and St. Vincent, Sans Soucis fuses classic song-writing with melancholy and hope. Sans Soucis honed a style rooted in her Italian and Congolese heritage, reminiscing the haunting compositions of Fabio Concato and the groove of Congolese rumba.

The London based songwriter and producer began releasing in 2018, attracting support from the likes of BBC 6 Music, KCRW, Earmilk, Line of Best Fit, The Independent, PRS Foundation, MOBO Awards, BBC 1Xtra, The Selector and Worldwide FM. Her live show strives to entwine performance, art and meld the audience with the music: Sans Soucis effortlessly flits between pulsating grooves - accomplished beat maker that she is - alternated with moments of extreme intimacy, her voice beautifully complemented by versatile and cultured musicianship.

Connecting words and thoughts with actions, Sans Soucis speaks up for human rights, with a passion for politics and social issues. Striving to make a tangible contribution to black artist communities across the globe (especially from disadvantaged backgrounds). She has curated a series of summer music workshops at Mthunzi centre (shelter for former street children in Lusaka, Zambia) via Italian organisation Amani for Africa and continues to support young musicians in the UK as a music educator for The Abram Wilson Foundation. www.sanssoucismusic.com

About Luz Pinos
In her early years, Luz grew up exposed to a lot of South American pop and traditional music. She followed her passion and graduated as a contemporary dancer in Guayaquil, Ecuador, then decided to move to NYC and pursue her career as a professional singer. Luz lost her grandfather while in NYC and found her own original sound and way of turning her personal stories into compositions influenced by Ecuadorian and South American rhythms; starting with her song Mariposa Azul, written for her grandfather as a goodbye song. 

Her multi-award-winning album Mariposa Azul was born and is now available on all digital streaming platforms. On July 12, 2019, she released her single Ya No Te Quiero. Her music has already taken her to Mexico, Peru, and Colombia, performing at numerous prestigious venues like Drom, Lincoln Center, Joes Pub in NYC and multiple festivals in NY and Houston - SXSW, Barnard College Festival, Raise Your Voice, and Riverside Festival. She toured multiple times in her home country Ecuador - in September 2019, Luz was invited to open the concert for Chilean singer Mon Laferte in Quito. Luz has also shared the stage with artists such as Rawayana, Esteman, and toured in March 2020 with Spanish world star Alejandro Sanz. Luz is currently working (from home) on her EP, which will be released very soon. www.facebook.com/luzpinos.ec