PROFILE: Denise Ann Freeman began singing at the age of five.

By the age of seven she was confidently singing a Charley Pride hit song with her father as he strummed his guitar.

Denise grew up in a musical family with her mother playing the organ and her sisters singing and playing the acoustic guitar.

Together they would entertain all and sundry, in a swanky four-part harmony.

Denise started writing poetry at the age of 13 and by the age of 14, she was playing the guitar and composing songs. (To date, she has written more than 200 poems of which she has turned into a self published book, called "A Lyrical Life".)

When Denise turned 16, she entered a singing competition under the youth category, for the Sri Sathya Sai World Peace Festival.

She won 1st prize for best rendition and best composition, which led her to win a trip to Perth, Australia.

She also appeared at the KL Plaza Extravaganza decked in a cowboy outfit, belting her songs to the public.

In 1987 Denise's father opened a Country & Western Pub called the Gold Canyon. Denise took this opportunity to sing a few numbers with a few local bands whenever she could.

In her late teens, Denise jammed with OD Levy, and the resident band, at the River Bank in Central Market and even formed a band of her own, at the local college she attended. She also jammed at a bar called Treffpunkt with Alex Peters.

At 20 years of age, Denise hit the stage again, singing to a large audience at the Strange Days Concert, organized by Peter & Markiza Hassan. Held at the British Council, the proceeds of the tickets, went to the Nature Society.

The following year, Denise's country and western jingle, "Go super Shell" hit national radio and TV and since then, Denise's voice has been used for many a product in the Malaysian advertising scene.

In 1993, at the age of 23, one of Denise's songs featured in Markiza's album, Open Secret. The song was called 'Up on a Hill', and was sung by Markiza.

Denise embarked on a professional career in writing for more than a decade, whilst continuing to sing and play the guitar on the side and jamming with musicians, whenever she could. In 1999, Denise traveled from Malaysia to Finland and then to Romania, whereupon she continued to write more songs.

NAKED & UNDONE, the album
In 2004, Denise decided that 17 years of song writing was too incredible to contain. The result - eight of her best songs recorded in Malaysia, backed by some of Malaysia's renowned artists like Julian Mokhtar, Jaime Wilson, Jimmie Loh and Bada.

Her musical ability and her versatility from song to song are undeniable throughout the album. Her melodies are memorable and very sing-along. In fact, most of her tracks are commercially catchy.

Her world of music glides from funky folk and blues to soul and country & western. Called, 'Naked and Undone', the album is really an open journal, in which Denise bears her soul for anyone wishing to listen, or read into her.

Her musical influences as she was growing up (besides Charley Pride & Johnny Cash) were Joni Mitchell, Ella Fitzgerald and Van Morrison. Her country and western influence prevails subtly in her music and she has the upbeat rhythms of Shania Twain and her lyrics are 'Edie Brickell sharing a tequila sunrise with Suzanne Vega'. She does all her own female backing vocals.

Yet, Denise is an individual in her own right.

"Putting this album together was an incredible journey for me," Denise says. "I worked with the multi-talented JD; the director genius of Studio 21:05 and star guitarist from the rising international band, Pop Shuvit.

"JD created a unique pulse behind each song, exploring different genres and instruments like harps, flutes, the udhu, djembe and a didgeridoo sounding instrument.

"What makes the album extra special is, I got to work with some exciting people in music and I had input from people I grew up with like Rafique Rashid, Peter and Markiza Hassan, Antares and Amir Yusoff.

"The end result is an album that is culmination of my past and present; a reflection of whom I am - an open book, hence the title of the album."

So, Get 'Naked and Undone', with Denise.

Denise Freeman performs at Backyard Pub after 9pm, on Saturday, February 26th, 2005.

(Posted: Feb 13, 2005)

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