Fresh organic folk for the loveolution.

13 MP3 Songs
FOLK: like Ani, FOLK: like Joni



Details:
Maria Mango is truly an artist at life. She's a woman who eludes definition, avoids competition, yet wins recognition. A seasoned traveller and street performer, she carries with her little more than a guitar and a grin, singing her sweet tunes on sidewalks and in subways, in cafes and around campfires. When you listen to her sing, it becomes easy to believe a better world is possible through the simple kindness of the human heart.

Maria grew up in the rural northern town of Flin Flon, Manitoba. Inspired by Nirvana, she began rocking out on her first electric guitar at age 14. When she moved to Winnipeg upon graduating high school she got more into folk music and began playing on the streets, covering her favorite tunes by artists such as Mary Lou Lord, Blind Melon, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Cat Stevens, and more, learning to sing whatever songs touched her heart. Although she was attending university at this time, her real education and passion was flowering out on the city sidewalks, and at the local open mics. Eventually, she decided to leave school behind and see what the wide open road of endless possibilities had to teach her.

One spring, Maria set out for a vision quest on the magical garden island of Kauai. It was in the enchanted valley of Kalalau that she acquired the name "Mango", connected to the Source, and began writing songs of her own. When she came back from that trip, she recorded her first album, "Playing For Change" and headed out to the west coast for another adventure. She serendipitously ended up at
Burning Man, that wild and crazy celebration of creative anarchy. It was like being awake in a beautiful dream! She would flutter about with either her ukulele or guitar, serenading the various theme camps, and would sing all night at the Temple fire. Maria has also played on the main stage at center camp. If you're going to the burn, watch out for her again this year!

After Burning Man, Maria Mango found her way to San Francisco, the city that gave birth to the event and a place that keeps the spirit of freedom and freakiness alive year-round. It instantly felt more like home than anywhere else she had ever been. She has since become a familiar face in the Haight-Ashbury, playing regularly in the local cafes. During her time in the city, Maria befriended two of the local legends of the neighborbood, poet and Oracle editor Allen Cohen, and the "Father of the Summer of Love", concert promoter Chet Helms before they passed on from this earth life. Maria says, "There were some psychedelic seeds of consciousness planted here in the 60's and NOW is the time for those flowers to BLOOM! There is a renaissance of love happening again here in San Francisco, and all over the world! The time is ripe for us to learn to really love ourselves, each other, and this earth, and to realize that everything is connected! We can use art and music and gatherings to raise the collective consciousness on this planet, and by changing our minds, and changing our hearts, one by one, we are changing the world."

Maria Mango's music has a message of unconditional love that is eternal and universal. Her songs have quickly became campfire classics, with singalong choruses that make everyone feel like a part of it all. Her songs have the power to inspire community, to heal hearts, and soothe souls. If you see her playing on a street corner sometime, stick around for a tune or two and she's sure to make you smile!