Luba (singer)

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For other uses, see Luba.
Luba

Background information
Birth name Luba Kowalchyk
Born 1958
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Origin Ukraine
Genre(s) Pop
Occupation(s) Singer
Years active 1980–present
Label(s) Capitol-EMI of Canada, Azure Music
Associated acts Luba
Website Official Site

Luba (born Luba Kowalchyk, 1958 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Growing up, she studied voice, guitar, flute, and piano; she later travelled across Canada to perform traditional Ukrainian folk songs at weddings and social gatherings.

In 1979 she formed the band Luba with drummer Peter Marunzak, guitarist Mark Lyman, bassist Mike Zwonok, guitarist John Nestorowich, and keyboardist Doug Short. They rose to fame in the early 1980s with the release of "Everytime I See Your Picture". Their debut EP on Capitol-EMI of Canada followed, and in 1984 they released their first full-length album with the label, entitled Secrets And Sins, which spawned the Canadian hit singles "Let It Go" (mixed by Richard James Burgess) and "Storm Before The Calm". The album, produced by Daniel Lanois, earned her a Juno Award in 1985 for "Best Female Vocalist."

In 1985 Luba performed several songs written by Stephen Lunt, Jon Stroll, and Kevin Gillis for the first season of the internationally renowned Canadian cartoon The Raccoons, several of these songs were later re-recorded by Lisa Lougheed for use in later seasons. In 1986 Luba released Between The Earth & Sky, included the single "How Many". The #1 Canadian hit represented Canada at the 1985 World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo, Japan and made the finals. Shortly after the album release, the band was involved in a serious accident (she was not on board the bus at the time) that nearly killed several members, leading Luba to take some time off. In 1987 she returned with Over 60 Minutes With Luba, a compilation of her best hits of the day. She followed up in 1989 with All Or Nothing, which included the singles "Giving Away A Miracle," "No More Words", and "Little Salvation". This would be her last studio album for a decade.

During this time, Luba experienced personal upheavals due to the loss of several close family members along with her divorce from husband and drummer Peter Marunzak shortly after the release of the band's live album in 1990. The latest album by Luba, From The Bitter To The Sweet, was released in 2000 on her own label Azure Music. While the album won some critical acclaim, and produced the Top 20 single "Is She A Lot Like Me?", it did not match the sales or radio airplay as her earlier albums. At year's end, she was featured in a concert performance on a Canadian program entitled An Evening With The Stars, which included both new and old material.

Luba earned Juno Awards for "Female Vocalist of the Year" in 1985, 1986, and 1987. She has also received CASBY and Félix awards, and a Black Music Association Award for "Female Entertainer of the Year" (one of the very few non-black persons to receive this honour). Most recently, her music has been featured on Canadian Idol.

Two new songs by Luba have recently appeared on a member music page of the popular social networking site MySpace. One is a ballad called "Heaven," and the other more upbeat called "Time." These are possibly singles for an upcoming album release, which is mentioned on both this Luba MySpace page and Luba's Official Website. An April 18, 2007 update on Luba's Official Website states that Luba chose to use MySpace in order to connect with her fans as well as for posting her music. Additional information is included on there, as well as a link to her MySpace page. Both new singles are available for adding to other MySpace members' music profiles.

Luba has recently moved from Canada as of mid-2007 and now lives in the Caribbean Islands.

Contents

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Singles

  • "Raven's Eyes" (1982)
  • "Everytime I See Your Picture" (1982, 1984)
  • "Let It Go" (1984)
  • "Storm Before The Calm" (1984)
  • "Secrets And Sins" (1985)
  • "How Many" (1986)
  • "Innocent (With An Explanation)" (1986)
  • "Strength In Numbers" (1986)
  • "Act Of Mercy" (1986)
  • "The Best Is Yet To Come" (1987)
  • "When A Man Loves A Woman" (1987)
  • "Giving Away A Miracle" (1989)
  • "No More Words" (1990)
  • "Little Salvation" (1990)
  • "Is She A Lot Like Me" (2000)
  • "Let Me Be The One" (2000)

[edit] Trivia

In the late 1980s, Luba appeared and sang in an anti-smoking public service announcement urging teens to "break free and go your own way."

[edit] References

[edit] External links