ABOUT

 
 

NOTE FROM THE FOUNDER…

“I embarked on this art-meets-medicine journey in 2012, after my singing by my father’s bedside in the ICU normalized his oxygen levels, which had been dangerously low for two days following an emergency craniotomy. That experience set me on a self-directed path, to pursue a formalized plan, combining my experience and love of the arts with my expertise in research and passion for caregiving. My long-term goal and aspiration is to formalize my own creative practice into a formalized method, which is replicable and teachable, and ultimately, bridge the healing potential and practices of the arts with the fields of health, wellness, and neuroscience, and forge a new synthesis, creating new hybrid, vital, accreditted professions: Art Practitioner and Creative Caregiver.”

— Vanessa Daou


ABOUT VANESSA DAOU

Vanessa Daou's career has been an investigation of the creative process, and search for freedom and beauty through creative expression. She has been an international recording artist for 25 years, with a strong background in Art and Science research. She has been featured in TIME Magazine, New York Times, Billboard Magazine, VIBE, The Wire, URB, Le Monde, La Liberation, Vogue, ELLE, Toronto Star, Mixer (cover), El Diario (Cover Arts Section), VH1, NPR, and more. Daou has released records on Columbia Records and MCA, EMI/France, with a dual degree in Studio Art & Art History, graduating Cum Laude from Barnard College / Columbia University. Daou studied with Art luminaries Illustrator Barry Moser, Poet Kenneth Koch, and Choreographer Erick Hawkins.

Daou's focus is on the synthesis of the Arts, streamlining methods of learning, and (self) discovery through the creative process. She recently received a Certificate in Social Emotional Arts (SEA) from UCLA's Arts & Healing Program, as well as certification from Partners in Care, a division of Visiting Nurse Service, NYC, as a Home Health Aid (HHA), and a Certificate in Memory Care from CaringKind, in pursuit of formalizing a creative process which facilitates healing, recovery, and well-being.

For the past several years, Daou has taken her search for freedom and healing through the creative process, and has designed a multi-module, art-centered curriculum which integrates Music, Dance, Drawing, and Poetry.

Daou has given lectures and workshops at SVA (School of Visual Arts), Comfort Station Gallery, Chicago, IL, Mercer County Community College, LIM College, and others, writer for aRUDE magazine (now offline), published by renowned Nigerian-American photographer, performance artist, and author, Iké Udé, has been a featured on interviews by The Snapshots Foundation, and is curator, lecturer, and collector of Vernacular Photography.

Vanessa Daou has held positions in research for The Dedalus Foundation, The Estate of Robert Motherwell, NYC, CERC (Columbia Environmental Research Consortium), and The United Nations.

 
 


vanessadaou.com


Education:

B.A., Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY, Visual Arts / Art History, cum laude

Albums:

  • Zipless (Bootleg Rehearsal Tapes) (Daou Records, 2016)

  • Light Sweet Crude (Daou Records, 2012)

  • Joe Sent Me (Daou Records, 2008)

  • Make You Love (EMI France / EQ8R / Daou Records, 2000)

  • Dear John Coltrane (Oxygen Music / Daou Records, 1999)

  • Plutonium Glow (Oxygen Music / Handprint Entertainment, 1997)

  • Slow to Burn (Krasnow Entertainment / MCA, 1996)

  • Zipless: Songs from the works of Erica Jong (Daou Records / Krasnow Entertainment / MCA, 1995)

  • Head Music (Columbia / SONY , 1992)

    Singles & Remixes

    ●  “Love Is War”, (Severino & Terry Farley Dub Is War Mix), 2015
    ●  “Consequences", Sons of Anarchy, Season 5 Finale, Playlist, 2014
    ●  “Trouble Comes”, YouTube, 2014
    ●  “Trouble Comes” (Single Version), Hypemachine, 2014
    ●  Nooka “Revolution” (TEEEL Remix), 2013
    ●  Eli Escobar: “Phreeky” (feat. Vanessa Daou & Nomi Ruiz), Lagasta, 2013
    ●  Vanessa Daou, “Danger Ahead”, DMC World Magazine, 2013
    ●  “Consequences”, (The Timewriter's New Ways Mix), 2011
    ●  Premiere: Vanessa Daou - “Becoming A Nun” 2.0 [Hifi Sean 6AM Mix], Magnetic Magazine, 2008
    ●  “Sunday Afternoons", Billboard #1 Dance chart Wikipedia, 1996
    ●  “Two To Tango", Billboard #1 Dance chart, 3 weeks #1, Wikipedia, 1996
    ●  “Near The Black Forest” (featured on VH1, The Box) 1995
    ●  “Surrender Yourself”, #1 Billboard Dance Single, 11 weeks #1, Wikipedia, 1992

    Videos

    ●  Consequences
    ●  Near The Black Forest
    ●  Snow
    ●  Sunday Afternoons
    ●  Trouble Comes
    ●  Two To Tango

    Selected venues Headlining & touring, and opening for Étienne Daho (France), Jazzmatazz / Guru; opening for Ziggy Marley, Jamiroquoi:

    ●  Avalon, Boston, MA
    ●  Bimbo’s 365 Club, San Francisco, CA
    ●  Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY
    ●  House of Blues, Los Angeles, CA
    ●  L’Olympia Theatre, Paris, France
    ●  First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
    ●  Lee’s Palace, Toronto, Otario, CA
    ●  Metro, Chicago, IL
    ●  7th House, Detroit, MI
    ●  Sidewalk Cafe, New York, NY
    ●  The Metropolitan, Montreal, CA

    Soundtracks:

    ●  Sons of Anarchy, Season 5 Finale, (2014) — “Consequences” (from Joe Sent Me, 2008)
    ●  Lila dit ça (2004) — "If I Could", from Slow to Burn (1996), "Juliette" from Make You Love (2000),
    ●  Fools Rush In, (1997) — “Two To Tango” (from Slow to Burn, 1996)
    ●  Idle Hands, (1999) — “How Do You Feel”, (from Slow to Burn, 1996)
    ●  The Watermelon Woman (1996) — "Near the Black Forest (Jazz Moses mix)" from Zipless (1996)
    ●  American Werewolf in Paris (1997) — “If I Could” (from Slow to Burn, 1996)
    ●  Party Girl (1995) — writer: "Mustafa's Theme"

    Selected Collaborations & Compilations:

    ●  Daou Tempo Series: Songs for Lovers (2018), Songs for Summer (2019), Songs for Solace (2020)
    ●  Welcome To My Blues: An Anthology (1994-2017), All About Jazz
    ●  Vanessa Daou + brokenkites, Leaving Paris, Inspired by acclaimed Poet/Novelist Collin Kelley’s novel ‘Leaving Paris’ (Part Three of ‘The Venus Trilogy’), 2016
    ●  Daouhaus: The Classic Remixes (Twisted America), All About Jazz, 2009
    ●  Buddha-Bar The Ultimate Experience — Ravin, Mario Chaviaras, George V Records, 2016
    ●  Various – Étienne Daho Présente — Vanessa Daou, Manifesto (Stripped Mix), (Capitol Music,

    EMI, Fnac, France, 2009)

    ●  Étienne Daho – Corps & Armes, (Virgin, France) 2000 — Includes 2 covers of songs by Vanessa Daou: Make Believe, from Plutonium Glow (1997), duet with Etienne Daho; ‘Evening’ from Slow to Burn (1996)
    ●  Étienne Daho – Week-end à Rome (Live 2001)

    Selected Press & Highlights (see here for selected images)

    2020

    ●  Graff, Gary, New Music: Eagles, Nas, T.I. Tom Petty and more... The Oakland Press, October 16
    ●  Mixtape 25: Silver anniversary: This is the 25th mixtape. Charles Leonard picks and plays shiny
    songs for the occasion, New Frame, Oct 14
    ●  Smith, Erika W. Making The Case For Sunday Sex, Refinery 29, Jan 17

    2019

    ●  Stone, Sam, Review: Vanessa Daou, “Zipless”, The Second Disc, March 14 2018
    ●  Hart, Ron, Leonard Cohen's 'I'm Your Man' Album Turns 30: Artists Reflect on the 'Dark,' 'Cheesy' Masterpiece, Billboard, Feb 2
    ●  Cobo, Leila, Vinyl For Indies: Sunpress Vinyl Launches 'Small Batch' Program, Billboard, Sept 11
    ●  Vanessa Daou To Release Her Landmark 1994 Debut 'Zipless: Songs From The Works Of Erica Jong' On Vinyl For The First Time Via Her Own DRKR Records, All About Jazz, Oct 31
    ●  Scrudato, Ken, Vanessa Daou’s Landmark ‘Zipless: Songs From the Works of Erica Jong’ Is Getting a Vinyl Release, BlackBook, Oct 28
    ●  Ham, Robert, Vanessa Daou – Zipless: Songs From The Works of Erica Jong (DRKR), Paste Magazine, Dec 28
    ●  Stone, Sam, My Love Is Too Much: Vanessa Daou’s “Zipless” Coming to Vinyl, The Second Disc,

    Dec 5

    ●  Premiere: Vanessa Daou - Becoming A Nun 2.0 [Hifi Sean 6AM Mix], Magnetic Mag, April 5

    2017

    ●  James, Randy, Album Review: Vanessa Daou’s “Zipless” and the Decentering of Men, FEM, (UCLA’s Feminist newsmagazine since 1973), Feb 23
    ●  Kelley, Collin, Beyond the Black Forest: In praise of Vanessa Daou, Modern Confessional, July 5
    ●  Davet, Stéphane, Etienne Daho, confessions d’un éternel fan, Le Monde, June 23 2016
    ●  Matos, Michaelangelo, A History of the Laser in Dance Music From disco parties in the 70s to Daft Punk's carnival-of-lights show at Coachella 2006, VICE, Oct 7
    ●  Matos, Michaelangelo, A Brief History of Masked DJs—From Orbital to Marshmello How dance musicians find their identities by losing themselves, VICE, Nov 29
    ●  Vanessa Daou: Zipless (1994), Elsewhere by Graham Reid, July 18 2014
    ●  Khan, Imran, Dark Days, Luminous Nights: An Interview with Vanessa Daou, PopMatters, Jan
    ●  Lisci, Luca, Front Page Feature Interview: Vanessa Daou - The Ocean inside the Mirror, TAR Magazine, week June 23rd-29th
    ●  Bata, John, Review: Vanessa Daou’s ‘Light Sweet Crude’, South Florida Gay News, Nov 7
    ●  Khan, Imran, Vanessa Daou: Light Sweet Crude (Act 1: Hybrid): Sex and politics find equal footing on Vanessa Daou's latest, a return to her club music roots, PopMatters, Feb 27 2013
    ●  Slant Magazine (Staff), House Playlist: Lorde, Phantogram, Glasser, & Vanessa Daou, Slant Magazine, Sept 13
    ●  Matos, Michaelangelo, New York City House, Red Bull Music Academy, May 17 2011
    ●  The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s, Slant Magazine, Feb 14 2010
    ●  Kelley, Colln, Vanessa Daou: Love Among the Shadowed Things, Modern Confessional, Feb 1 2009
    ●  Ouroboros Review, Interview with Poet Collin Kelley, March 12 2004
    ●  Byrne, David, Pop Making Sense, Windy City Times, Dec 8
    ●  Gonzalez, Ed, Review: Vanessa Daou, Zipless, Slant Magazine, March 26 2001
    ●  Paoletta, Michael, Make You Love, Year in Music, Critic’s Choice, Billboard, Dec 29
    ●  Paoletta, Michael, Pop Artist Spotlight Review, Make You Love, Billboard July 14
    ●  Paoletta, Michael, Vanessa Daou Finally Talks About Love on EQ8R Album, Billboard, July 7

    2000

    ●  Rigoulet, Laurent, De Daou à Daho Retour de l'égérie house-pop via le Net et Etienne, La Liberation, Feb 12
    ●  Mortaigne, Veronique, Un éternel jeune homme et sa famille, Le Monde, May 5
    ●  Make You Love, Feature Review, Magic, France
    ●  Lescure, B, Toulouse. Daou, l'amie de Daho, La Depeche, May 5
    ●  Monnet, Vincent, Vanessa Daou, au pays des merveilles de Juliette, Le Temps, Dec 18
    ●  Elle Aime La Musique, ELLE, Fr, Dec
    ●  Woodard, Joseph, Review, Dear John Coltrane JazzTimes, Jan/Feb 2000 1999
    ●  Review / Music, Dear John Coltrane, The Timesaver Newspaper, Penn 1998
    ●  Plutonium Glow Review: Old Gear, Smooth Grooves, Keyboard Magazine
    ●  Web of Desire, Plutonium Glow Review, HX Magazine 1997
    ●  Staff Rep., Krasnow Leaves Universal After Producing Two Albums, Wall Street Journal, Feb 11
    ●  Sandler, Adam, Krasnow cuts loose from U Music, Variety, Feb 11 1996
    ●  Ressler, Darren, Cover & Feature, MixMag, US
    ●  Pitts, George, Slow to Burn Feature, VIBE, Nov
    ●  Christophe,Basterra,Résurrection,Magique,France,Dec
    ●  Let’s Talk About Sex, Panel with Redman, Roy Ayers, Nona Hendrix, VIBE
    ●  Verna, Paul, Billboard Pop Albums Reviews,
    ●  Tremayne, Jim, A Woman’s Place, Feature DJ Times, Dec
    ●  Cover story & Interview, Cashbox, Aug 12

    1995

    ●  Thigpen, David, Music Feature: Balancing Act: Vanessa Daou's jazz and pop make an exhilarating mix, TIME, Nov 13
    ●  Norris, Chris, Recorded Music Review, Zipless, New York Magazine, June 12
    ●  Stoute, Lenny, In Praise of the Spiritual Side of Sex, Feature, The Toronto Star, Sept 21
    ●  Albums of the Year, MixMag, UK (#20/20)
    ●  Davies, David, The Zipless Funk, Feature MixMag, UK, Dec
    ●  Connelly, Laura, Bites, The Wire, UK, March
    ●  Lestrade, Didier, Vanessa Daou ou la lascive house, La Liberation, Nov 6
    ●  Thomas, Kasty, Audio Books & Spoken Word, Billboard, Aug 12
    ●  Tallie, Mariahadessa, Deeper Than Daou, URB
    ●  Maragasak, Peter, Theatre Critic’s Choice: Vanessa Daou, Chicago Reader, Sept 21
    ●  Cover & Feature, Vibrations Magazine, France, Dec

    1992

    ●  Freedberg, Michael, Feature, Head Music, The New York Times, Sunday Arts & Leisure, Aug 2
    ●  Wyatt, Hugh, Gonna Take a Subtle Mental Journey, New York Daily News, May 10
    ●  Newman, Melinda, Head Music, Billboard Album Featured Review, Pop Section

    Interviews & Guest Panels:

    2020

    ●  Khan, Imran, UnZipped: Vanessa Daou and Erica Jong on the Making of the Electronica Classic 'Zipless', PopMatters, March 26
    ●  Singer/Artist Vanessa Daou Visits Madame Perry's Salon, Blog Talk Radio, May 2019
    ●  Harrison, Quentin, INTERVIEW: Vanessa Daou Revisits ‘Zipless,’ Her Dynamic Declaration of Independence, 25 Years Later, Albumism, Jan 5
    ●  Flinner, Amanda, Vanessa Daou, Interview, Songfacts, Jan 2 2018
    ●  Stereo Embers Magazine, Alex Green Interview w/ Vanessa Daou, Bombshell Radio, Nov 29 2015
    ●  Liquid Sound Lounge Saturday's 7-10pm WBAI 99.5fm. DJ Jeannie Hopper with special guest Vanessa Daou-1st hour, and 2 hours- "Celebrating Frankie Knuckles".

    2014

    ●  Bewley, Jonathan, The Snapshots Foundation, Future States of Music: YouTube (Interview Part 1, Interview Part 2), Nov 9
    ●  Interview theupdownsuite, Feb 2018
    ●  THE NITESHIFT, Hosted By Mike Sargent, WBAI Radio | An interview with Poet, singer, composer, artist VANESSA DAOU. Spanning her amazing 25 year career.

    2010

    ●  Mugwump, Jonny, She Owns The Night: Vanessa Daou Interviewed: jonny mugwump talks to the New York based songstress about speakeasies, rave culture and the poem/song divide, The Quietus, May 27 2008
    ●  Vanessa Daou Interview - Jazz, Part 1, Part 2, Rockyoumentally, Nov 26 2007
    ●  Billboard Dance Music Summit, Las Vegas, NV, Getty Images 2002
    ●  Billboard Dance Music Summit, “Diva Worship Panel”, NYC, World Radio History 1995
    ●  The Box Video Channel, Feature Interview by Jenny McCarthy
    ●  Playboy Artist-of-the-month

    Lectures, Talks & Workshops, Shows & Special Projects:

    * “Poetry and the Narrow Road to Your Interior”. Lecture, Talk & Workshop @ for Dr Gail Shapiro Graduate Class, ‘Personal Branding’, LIM College, Sept 19, 2019, Recap @ Blogger
    * “The Vernacular Effect : anonymous snapshots and the unlearning of everything”, Guest Speaker at Comfort Station, Logan Square, Chicago, IL, @ The Vernacular Photography Festival, curated by Ron Slattery, Aug 28, 2015, YouTube
    * Live @ The Sidewalk Cafe, NYC, Dec 27
    * Walmsley, Derek, Weird Tales for Winter, The Mire / The Wire, UK, Dec 1 2010
    * “Degrees of Freedom", an analysis of the language of Dance as it relates to Sculpture” Lecture & Workshop @ The School of Visual Arts (SVA) for Suzanne Anker's Digital Sculpture class, Blogger (text) + Impromptu sculptures made by students following lecture/discussion, Flickr (images) 2010
    * JOE SENT MDE Presented at Mercer County Community College by The Mercer Dance Ensemble (MDE) The Academic Theatre & Dance Programs The Entertainment Technology Program. Inspired by & featuringmusicfromthealbumJOESENTMEbyVanessaDaou.YouTube:Part1,P art2,Part3,Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9 2009
    * Chanteuse Vanessa Daou Shares Life in Music Business With MCCC Students, MCC.edu, April 1 2009 * Acclaimed Performer Vanessa Daou Collaborates with MCCC Theatre/Dance Program, MCC.edu, 2009 * Joe Sent M(D)E, Billboard #1 Dance Artist Vanessa Daou To Visit MCCC Campus March 27, Mercer County Community College, 2009
    * Broadway World News Desk Vanessa Daou Visits Mercer County Community College 3/27, Broadway World News, March 11 2009
    * Barcelona Poesia, Special Guest, Poetry in Code, Exploring HTML 2008
    * Plutonium, (Installation and music) artspace, New Haven, CT, 1999

    Notable & Mentions:

  • 2020 Simonart, Serge, Het audioboek van Lana Del Rey is al bij al een uniek project, Humo, Oct 5 2019 The Laura Flanders Show, featuring ‘How Do You Feel’, May 15

  • 2018 Henriette, CV, Detroit Sounds: Wayne Northcross of MOCAD, Detroit Is It, Dec 14

  • 2017 Slant Magazine, Music Staff Writers, The 10 Best Albums of 1995, Slant Magazine April 24 2017 Heavy Rotation: The 10 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing, NPR, June 24

  • 2017 Guttridge-Hewitt, Martin, 10 moments that defined Danny Tenaglia, DJ Mag, Dec 7 2017 Mais qu’écoutait Étienne Daho en juin 2004?, Numero, Nov 13

  • 2015 Negra with Tumbao, Alicia Keys Kills It With Her New Single, The Urban Twist, June 7 2012 Light Sweet Crude featured on 3 Bestsellers lists on iTUNES, 2012

  • 1996 Marshall, Wolf, Alex Lifeson: The Making Of A Guitar Legend, Guitar One

  • 1996 List of #1 Dance Singles of 1996 (U.S.), (Sunday Afternoons, Two To Tango, 3 weeks), Wikipedia 1992 The Daou, Surrender Yourself #1 Billboard Dance Single, 11 weeks, Wikipedia

    Selected Essays— Published in aRUDE Magazine (2011-2019) | Music Editor & Contributing Writer

    ●  Art & Aging: Breaking the Chain of Isolation — a curated essay (2019)
    ●  On Being Moved : sound, music, and resonance (2018)
    ●  The Resistance of Memory | Notes From Art Basel Miami Beach (2015)
    ●  The Argument is Made: A New Radical Economy — Iké Udé’s Nollywood Portraits (2017)
    ●  The Language of Transformation: Clyde Terry, Emerging Leaders Academy (2015)
    ●  Ute Lemper Interview by Vanessa Daou (2012)
    ●  Music ‘n Revolution : The Personal is Political (2011)

    Creative Practice & Memory Health Care Work:

    2019 - 2023

    Activities Director, West 74th St Residence, West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing, 501(c)(3), NYC

    2017 - 2019

    Social Emotional Arts Spotlight:Vanessa Daou, UCLArts & Healing, Aug 4 Private Practice, Well-being Workshops,Los Angeles, CA
    Social Emotional Arts Certificate,UCLArts & Healing, LA, CA

    Research & Curatorial:

    2014 - 2017

    Curator Vernacular Photography, Private Collector (name upon request), LA, CA

    Project Development, Research, Sales,Von Lintel Gallery, New York, NY

    2002 - 2012

    Head of Internet Research, UN Dispatch, the blog for The United Nations, New York, Head of Visual Research and Photo Archives, The Dedalus Foundation, The Estate of Robert Motherwell, New York, NY

    Research Analyst, Columbia University Center for Environmental Research and Conservation (CERC), New York, NY