Laura Izibor

A God-given gift usually finds its way to the surface, even in an unusual place and time.  So Dublin, Ireland in 1987 was not a typical location for a future soul star, but that is where Laura Izibor was born to a working class family.  One of five children, Laura was drawn to the music of artists like Stevie Wonder and Roberta Flack on local radio, and by her teen years was absorbing all of the classic soul sounds of the 60s and 70s she could find.

These great artists became the influences that drew Izibor to become a pianist and composer, and her talent bloomed. At age 15 she won a national competition called 2FM Song Contest, and two years later began working on her debut album.  The process took four years to complete, recording both in Ireland and the US .  She was also honing her stage skills opening for several soul acts in concert, including James Brown, Angie Stone and Al Green.

The result of Izibor's studio work will be released in Spring 2009 on Atlantic Records, in the form of the album Let the Truth Be Told.  The sounds being leaked on the album are extremely engaging, and clips can be heard on Izibor's MySpace page. Her first single, "From My Heart to Yours" was featured on television's Gray's Anatomy, and her song "Shine" was spotlighted on American Idol during its "Idol Gives Back" feature.  She will be an artist to watch in 2009.

By Chris Rizik