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"The boatman has heard the singing,
in the throes of a strange, wild love.
He only hears the goddess singing… "
-- The Lorelei,
by Heinrich Heine.

According to ancient legend, the Lorelei was a beautiful maiden of the Rhine who lured navigators of the river with her entrancing and irresistible song.

Perhaps this is the best way to describe the effect that 18-year-old singer/songwriter Lorelei Carlson has on her listeners: they are entranced by the interplay of her poignant compositions, her haunting piano and her amazing voice, which has moved audiences around the world.

Fans say that Lorelei combines the exotic beauty of Shakira with the powerful voice of Christina Aguilera and the profound lyrical ability of Jewel. She performs a variety of styles, from pop to blues to soulful ballads, displaying an astonishing vocal range, and always avoiding fluff in favor of songs that retain both meaning and catchy melodies. Lorelei's new demo, recorded and produced by Grammy award-winning producer Phil Nicolo, contains a mix of original upbeat tunes and stark ballads that showcase her vocal versatility. A music reviewer for the hit website partyinkingston.com wrote: Eighteen-year-old singing phenom, songwriter and pianist Lorelei Carlson of Washington, D.C. is on the verge of taking the music world by storm.

“To me, singing and songwriting is a whole lot more than just being able to communicate my audience, It’s about reaching deep into their soul and having them capture that very emotion the song is evoking. When people tell me that listening to my music has actually helped them, It’s the most rewarding and touching experience.” - Lorelei

Lorelei grew up in six countries, in addition to the United States. She started singing as a toddler, learned the piano at age seven, and began composing her own music by age eleven. At thirteen, she was asked to perform The Star-Spangled Banner at the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia. Lorelei has recorded several songs in Colombia, Chile, and in Switzerland, where she was classically trained by a renowned vocal coach. Lorelei is completely bilingual and can speak and sing fluently in both English and Spanish.

“Moving around so much, learning different languages and tasting other cultures has given me the opportunity to become more ecclectic as a musician.” - Lorelei

At age fifteen, Lorelei wrote her breakthrough ballad Without You, which has since gained a large following around the world via the Internet. She attended high school in Philadelphia, where she starred as 'Maria' in the school musical West Side Story ; the Philadelphia Inquirer described her performance as stellar. Lorelei was selected to the All-City Choir, and was voted Best Vocalist by her classmates. In 2006, Lorelei won Best Singer at a city-wide talent show. She now lives just outside Washington, D.C.

Musical Styles

• Pop
• Alternative
• Blues

Influences

• Coldplay
• Janis Joplin
• Mariah Carey
• Christina Aguilera
• Brandon Boyd