There’s something powerful in starting over for Amanda Martinez

There’s something powerful in starting over.

That’s the theme explored on Canadian singer Amanda Martinez’s recently released album “Mañana,” which features a unique blend of Latin pop and Mexican folk music, along with flamenco and tinges of jazz and Afro-Cuban music.

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“The sound is fresh, but I do incorporate traditional elements in some of the folklore songs I listened to growing up,” Martinez told VOXXI. “The majority of the songs are originals but definitely contain those influences from Latin America. I’ve been lucky that people have responded well to it.”

As for the notion of starting over, there’s an inherent desire and danger attached that the Toronto-born artist knows firsthand. Formerly a TD Bank Associate Director of Trade Finance for Latin America, it was just over a decade ago when the daughter of a Mexican father (an engineer) and a South African mother (a teacher) left the high-paying job to explore her lifelong dream to sing.

Growing up in a bilingual household, she was inspired by her father’s eclectic record collection, which included classical music, Latin legends like Trio Los Panchos, bossa nova and jazz (Stan Getz and Cleo Laine), as well as Joan Baez’s “Gracias A La Vida.”

“In Toronto we have this really huge world music community because there are so many immigrants from all over,” Martinez said. “There is a lot of fusion going on in a lot of different bands here. I just work more intuitively and my sound just all kind of evolved organically.”

Amanda Martinez’s organic sound began with Latin jazz explored in her 2006 debut, “Sola,” and its 2009 follow-up “Amor.” Both albums earned her nominations as Latin Jazz Artist of the Year at Canada’s National Jazz Awards and won her Best World Music Artist at Toronto’s Independent Music Awards. She also sang before 30,000 people at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

However, when it came time record “Mañana,” Martinez was ready to spread her wings working with Spanish flamenco producer and guitarist Javier Limón (Paco de Lucía, Buika, Diego El Cigala).

“For this third album, it was more the elements for me that changed where we had the influence of the tres guitar from Cuba and also the flavor that Javier brings from Spain,” Martinez said. “So it’s more guitar focused, and I think that’s it a lot more of a pop sensibility to it than a jazz one.”

The material ranges from the border love story “Va y Viene,”  to the anthem “Esperanza Viva” and even Beatles-esque lullaby “Le Chemin.”