An El Pasoan has transformed her passion for music and research, along with her diverse roots, into a powerful album, earning her a nomination for the music industry’s highest honor — a Grammy.
Amanda Ekery authored a 60-page book accompanying her album “Árabe”, earning her a nod in the Grammy’s Best Album Notes category. The album notes are what used to be liner notes found in old records, which often included lyrics. According to Billboard, The Recording Academy’s album notes submissions follow precise rules: original writing “must contribute serious time and effort to writing the notes, as evidence by background research, reflection, analysis and explanation of context.”
The vocalist, composer, and educator explored her Syrian and Mexican roots in the album notes, examining the presence of Arabs in El Paso and the unexpected ways the two cultures intersect, like more than 4,000 shared words, vibrant cuisine, and a desert landscape that connects them…