“Manella’s voice is amazing. Her Timbre is so unique that it leaves you breathless.”  - Edgar Allen Poets

“Manella continues to establish the effortlessly captivating nature of her writing… it’s hard not to find yourself hanging on the artist’s every word.” - CLOUt

Manella (Maria Jimenez) is a versatile singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and actress from Vancouver based in Montréal. Her singing style is truly unique, heavily influenced by a wide variety of genres to create a full performative storytelling experience. She graduated in 2021 from the Schulich School of Music at McGill University with a double major in Composition and Jazz Voice: Performance and has since continued on a musical journey expanding into Indie Rock and Folk with the release of her debut album Songs My Mother Never Taught Me, February 2023.

Maria is not only an incredibly mature singer with a warm soulful tone, but a witty songwriter and composer in her own right. She is an incredibly promising young talent, who has already received numerous accolades, recognition, and is a frequent performer throughout Canada; an extraordinary musician; whose dedication, ambition, and command of the stage are a force to be reckoned with. Seeing her on stage is enthralling. In every lyric, she captures you; with every note, she opens herself up like a book full of emotions.  

Highlights

• 2 x META Award Nominee 2022 - Outstanding Emerging Artist (Performance), and Outstanding Ensemble for The Paperbag Princess with Geordie Theatre Productions

• BMus Composition and Jazz Performance: Voice (McGill University) - Outstanding Achievement in Jazz Voice, 2021

• BroadwayWorld Regional Award Best Actress Nominee - Leading or Featured, 2019

• VIPA Festival Composition Fellow, 2019

• Oregon Bach Festival Composer's Symposium Fellow, 2016

• Second Place, Crescendo International Music Competition, Intermediate Piano, 2016

• Runner-Up Vancouver Chamber Choir Young Composer’s Competition: Secondary Division with Original Composition Duerme, 2015

• North Vancouver Education Foundation Greg Quan Scholarship for Musical Excellence, 2015

• Argyle Music Golden Vocal Cords Award, 2015

• Argyle Music Outstanding Composer Award, 2015

• Koon Chang Yeung Memorial Award for Visual/Performing Arts, 2015

• West Vancouver Community Arts Council Scholarship for Outstanding Musical Contribution and Excellence, 2015

• Scholarship to Berklee Five-Week Summer Performance Program, Canadian Rocky Mountain Music Festival, 2015

• BCMEA Honour Vocal Jazz Ensemble, 2013