Mesmerizing singer Niki Haris brings her vast musical repertoire back to The Orinda Theatre April 19. Having been Madonna’s back-up singer for 18 years and performing with the likes of Mick Jagger, Whiney Huston, Sheryl Crow and Ray Charles, Haris looks forward to returning to Orinda’s intimate venue.
Niki Haris’ melodious vocals will once again mesmerize audiences when she returns to “Live at the Orinda!” April 19 at 5 p.m. Having made her debut with the concert series last April, Haris is back by popular demand.
“She instantly connected with everyone in the sold-out theater. and kept all of us completely enraptured for 90 minutes,” said producer Michael Williams.
Haris plans to do more of the same this April as she takes the audience on a musical odyssey from Stevie Wonder to Stevie Nicks and from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Sondheim.
“Music is the soundtrack of my life,” said Haris. “I was always singing jazz with my father and grew up around music and musically gifted individuals. I know I’m simply blessed to be able to paint with the canvas given to me.”
Born into a prominent jazz family (her father was the Grammy nominated pianist Gene Harris), Niki loves singing jazz as well as pop, gospel, R&B and a show tune now and again. She toured with her father and made three albums with him (“Down Home Blues,” “In His Hands” and “Jazz Alley Cats”) until his death in 2000.
Known as the “big voice” behind Madonna, Haris was one the pop star’s back-up singers from 1987 to 2001. During that time, she collaborated with such titans of rock and roll as Mick Jagger, Whitney Huston and Sheryl Crow.
Throughout her time with Madonna, which included co-starring in the film “Madonna: Truth or Dare,” Haris kept up her love of jazz singing with the likes of Stanley Turrentine, Joe Sample, the Jazz Crusaders and Ray Charles.
“I have such gratitude for the years of hard work and loads of laughs, and understanding the pros and cons of the illusions built around people in this industry,” said Haris. “It helps keep me thankful for my great, and honest, community of family and friends. No one does any of this alone. Those were lessons Madonna instilled in me during our time together.”
The singer, dancer, songwriter and actress has performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall to Wembley Stadium to international jazz festivals, and even President Obama’s inauguration.
With talent to spare, Haris also choreographed the MTA Awards for Madonna as well as provided additional choreography for “The Girlie Show” and the television series “Melrose Place.”
Haris has the unique ability to deliver powerful, emotional tunes while creating an intimacy with her audience as if she is singing to each one individually. Her father was known for his warm sound and blues/gospel-infused style, and his daughter has obviously inherited that talent and made it her own.
Although music has always been an important part of her life, Haris said her greatest joy is watching her own daughter find her wings.
“Seeing the ones you love fly reminds me to do the same,” Haris said.
For a preview of the multi-talented Haris, be at the historic Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St., San Francisco, April 15 at 7:30 p.m., where Haris and fellow Madonna backup singer/dancer Donna DeLory will be interviewed prior to the screening of “Madonna: Truth or Dare.” For tickets, go to thecastro.com/.
For tickets to Haris’ April 19 concert at the Orinda Theatre, 4 Orinda Theatre Square, go to orindamovies.com/live-at-orinda/. If the concert is sold out, email Williams at mdw500@gmail.com.
