Maria Manna

Last updated
Maria Manna
Maria-manna.jpg
Born (1961-02-26) February 26, 1961 (age 63)
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Occupation(s)Singer, actress, author, Ordained Minister
Years active1979–present
Spouse
Mario Michael Manna
(m. 19811999)
Christopher Paul Grew
(m. 2002)
ChildrenMarco Manna
Christina Timleck
Stepson Kyle Grew
Stepdaughter Karmen Chikities
RelativesPatty Ratliff (Sister)
Barbara Cocquio (Sister)
Daniela Eskow (Sister)
Hannah Haché (Niece)
Ashley Makay Luck (Niece)
Musical career
GenresJazz
Website mariamannamusic.com

Maria Manna, (born as Maria Antonia Cocquio; February 26, 1961) is a Canadian singer, actress, and Ordained Minister. She was a judge for the 50th Canadian Juno Awards June 2021. She is known for her reign as "Klondike Kate" for the years 1999 and 2000. [1] Manna was selected by the Edmonton Klondike Association to become Edmonton's Klondike Days Festival Ambassador and Headliner.

Contents

Life and career

Manna was born in Edmonton, Alberta to immigrant parents Danilo Cocquio, born in Castiglione Olona, and Antonina Cantoro, born in Ortona Chieti. She received a diploma in hair styling at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and then attained a diploma in Police Sciences with Distinct Honors in 1995 from the International Correspondence School of Canada. In 2000, Manna was owner and operator of the Maria Manna Etiquette and Finishing School. She also owned and operated a spa, Maria Manna Life Spa in 2002. [2]

Her 2000 album Klondike Kate in Bosnia featured her 10-city goodwill tour to Bosnia-Herzegovina with Canadian peacekeepers to entertain international troops as Edmonton legend Klondike Kate. [3] The Canadian military sponsored her fundraising CD, and she later filled a military plane with clothing, medical and school supplies.

In 1999, Manna was diagnosed with a nodule on her vocal cords. After trying various alternative therapies, Manna chose to move forward with surgery, despite the 50% chance of permanent damage to her vocal cords. This surgery involved the removal of the nodule. The surgery was deemed successful, extending Manna's range from one octave to three octaves.

She has opened for The Beach Boys and performed with Paul Horn, Tommy Banks, Alfie Zappacosta and David Foster. [4]

From April 2013 to April 2014, Manna undertook a donor relations coordinator position for the Victoria branch of Mercy Ships Canada, which operates charitable hospital ships that provide medicine and surgery to needy third world nations. [5]

In addition to her music, Manna is a contributing author to a work of short stories: Earth Angels-Edition #1 (2018) with the short story "Bella Figura".

Manna was a host and producer on the musical competition Victoria Idol, in 2009, the proceeds of which were donated to PEERS (Prostitute Empowerment Education and Resource Society).

Manna's acting debut was in 2005 in The Engagement Ring, a made-for-TV movie which featured Lainie Kazan and Patricia Heaton.

In 2010 Manna produced Vancouver Island's Got Talent, a talent competition with proceeds funding the Maria Manna Bursary at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, a non-profit organization for children who cannot afford music lessons. [3]

In 2016 Maria produced and starred in a talk show called "Maria Manna City Chat, a 5 segment show for SHAW Television discussing common topics with a new angle. [6] [7]

Manna is the co-founder and president of the Universal Jazz Advocates and Mentors Society, which is also known as U-JAMS. [8] [9]

Manna performs to raise funds for charity and has helped raise $750 million. [10] Manna is an ordained minister. [11] [12]

Manna has volunteered with non-profit organizations The Vancouver Island South Film and Media Commission, Canadian Bar Association Benevolent Society, Greater Victoria Animal Crusaders Society, Royal Jubilee Hospital. [13]

Other projects include the Maria Manna Bursary Fund, established at the Victoria Conservatory of Music to provide music lessons for talented children with socio-economic difficulties. [14] Manna has performed at the Christmas Ladies of Jazz fundraiser for the Kidney Foundation of Canada at Hermann's Jazz Club with fellow musicians Maureen Washington and April Gislason. [15] [16]

Awards and honors

Manna received the Governor General's Sovereign's Medal for volunteers in 2016. [17]

On January 24, 2013, Manna was awarded the Governor General's Caring Canadian Award at Government House for her charitable work. [17]

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmonton</span> Capital and second largest city of Alberta, Canada

Edmonton is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anchors the northern end of what Statistics Canada defines as the "Calgary–Edmonton Corridor", a region spanning between Edmonton and the city of Calgary, Alberta’s largest city, which includes the many smaller municipalities between the two.

k.d. lang Canadian musician (born 1961)

Kathryn Dawn Lang, known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical performances. Hits include the songs "Constant Craving" and "Miss Chatelaine".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Alberta</span> Overview of the culture of Alberta (Canada)

The culture of Alberta refers to the art, customs, and traditions of the people of Alberta. Alberta entered into Confederation in 1905, placing her in a tie with Saskatchewan as the country's second youngest province. Despite her short history, the province possesses a rich culture. The vastness of the land and variation of geography – which includes mountains, foothills, grassland, parkland, forest, and rockland – have served as important sources of creative inspiration across all art forms. Alberta's primary industries of farming, ranching, and petroleum also play a major part in the province's culture and identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K-Days</span> Annual exhibition held in Edmonton, Canada

K-Days, formerly known as the Edmonton Exhibition, Klondike Days, and Capital Ex, is an annual 10-day exhibition held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada mostly in late July. It runs in conjunction with the Taste of Edmonton and – from 2006 through 2012 – the Edmonton Indy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Banks (musician)</span> Canadian politician

The Honourable Thomas (Tommy) Benjamin Banks was a Canadian pianist, conductor, composer, television personality and senator. He was married to a musical theatre hobbyist, Ida Heller, the woman who would eventually run Banks Associated Music Ltd., founded by Banks himself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Violet Archer</span> Canadian composer, pianist, organist, and percussionist (1913 - 2000)

Violet Louise Archer was a Canadian composer, teacher, pianist, organist, and percussionist. Born Violet Balestreri in Montreal, Quebec, in 1913, her family changed their name to Archer in 1940. She died in Ottawa on 21 February 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CFB Edmonton</span> Canadian Forces base

3rd Canadian Division Support Base Edmonton, formerly known as and commonly referred to as CFB Edmonton is a Canadian Forces base located in Sturgeon County adjacent to the City of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada. It is also known as Edmonton Garrison or "Steele Barracks".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberta Highway 33</span>

Alberta Provincial Highway No. 33, commonly referred to as Highway 33 and officially named Grizzly Trail, is a north–south highway in west–central Alberta, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jan Randall</span> Canadian musician (born 1952)

Jan Randall is a Canadian composer, singer songwriter and professional musician. He has had an extensive career composing sound tracks, performing original songs, and improvising music for comedy theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria School of the Arts</span> School in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Victoria School of the Arts is a public school in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada operated by Edmonton Public Schools, offering students from kindergarten through grade 12 an International Baccalaureate aligned, arts-focused education, and is recognized as one of the top arts-focused schools in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikki Yanofsky</span> Canadian singer (born 1994)

Nicole Rachel "Nikki" Yanofsky is a Canadian jazz-pop singer from Montreal, Quebec. She sang the CTV Olympic broadcast theme song, "I Believe", which was also the theme song of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. She also performed at the opening and closing ceremonies for the Olympics and at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games. She has released four studio albums to date, including Nikki in 2010, Little Secret in 2014, Turn Down the Sound in 2020, and Nikki By Starlight in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Alberta Hospital</span> Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta

The University of Alberta Hospital (UAH) is a research and teaching hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The hospital is affiliated with the University of Alberta and run by Alberta Health Services, the health authority for Alberta. It is one of Canada's leading health sciences centres, providing a comprehensive range of diagnostic and treatment services to inpatients and outpatients. The UAH treats over 700,000 patients annually.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Schutt</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1975)

Kate Schutt is an American singer and songwriter who has released two albums No Love Lost and The Telephone Game.

The Klondike Open is a darts tournament that has been held since 1958 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The tournament is currently ranked by Darts Alberta, National Darts Federation of Canada, World Darts Federation, and British Darts Organisation. The organising body is the Edmonton City Dart League which has been in existence since 1946.

Lorraine DeAngelis, known professionally as Lola Dee, also known as Lola Ameche, was an American singer who recorded for the Mercury and Columbia labels in the 1950s and 1960s. At the age of 14, she was heard in an amateur contest and asked to audition for a network teen-aged show called Junior Junction. Aged 16, Dee was signed to a recording contract. She recorded over 60 sides, including the best seller "Only You " (1955). Her popularity as a recording artist gave her the opportunity to tour with such stars as Bob Hope, Johnnie Ray, and Jimmy Durante in the 1950s and 1960s.

Natasha Staniszewski is a Canadian sports reporter and media host for the Calgary Flames and Calgary Stampeders. She is a former anchor on SportsCentre, TSN's flagship news and information show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Solez</span>

Kim Solez is an American pathologist and co-founder of the Banff Classification, the first standardized international classification for renal allograft biopsies. He is also the founder of the Banff Foundation for Allograft Pathology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eleanor Collins</span> Canadian jazz singer and television host (1919–2024)

Elnora Ruth Collins, Order of Canada, was a Canadian jazz singer, television host, and civic leader. She was known as Canada's First Lady of Jazz.

Judi Singh, sometimes spelled Judy Singh, was a Canadian jazz musician.

References

  1. Lucas, John (22 July 2013). "Seven-year-old Tyler Byskal meets Maria Manna (Klondike Kate in 1999 and 2000) during the 36th annual K-Days Monday Morning Magic event at Northlands for children with disabilities in Edmonton on Monday, July 22, 2013". www.montrealgazette.com. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  2. "Maria Manna - Unlimited Woman of Style". younlimited.com. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Maria Manna - Belle Island Studio". belleislestudios.com. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  4. "Maria Manna from Victoria BC". livevictoria.com. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  5. "Monday Exclusive: On a ship called Mercy - Victoria News". www.vicnews.com. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  6. "Langford chanteuse set to debut TV show - Goldstream News Gazette" . Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  7. "Brand New Local Victoria Talk Show to Air on November 14" . Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  8. "Camp offers all that jazz". www.saanichnews.com. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  9. "U-JAM - Universal Jazz Advocates and Mentors". www.u-jam.ca. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  10. "Abba Ministries of Canada - Ordination with Canada's fastest growing Christian Church". www.abbacanada.org. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  11. "River City Big Band presents Jazz at the Oasis featuring Maria Manna - Edmonton". globalnews.ca. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  12. "Northern Alberta News - The Kidney Foundation of Canada - La Fondation canadienne du rein". www.kidney.ca. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  13. "Liberals choose candidate for new south Island riding". Times Colonist . Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  14. "victoria talent contests heat up" . Retrieved 4 August 2018 via PressReader.
  15. "Maureen Washington - Maria Manna - April Gislison @ Hermann's Jazz Club - Dec 07 2013 Victoria BC - Hermann's Jazz Club - Lounge and Restaurant". hermannsjazz.com. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  16. "Maria Manna Entertainment presents "IT'S AMORE!"". myvancity.ca. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  17. 1 2 "Maria Manna Ent. presents: Victoria Gospel Music Festival-Day 2". vcm.bc.ca/events. Retrieved 4 August 2018.