Luba (born Luba Kowalchyk, 1958 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Growing up, she studied voice, guitar, flute, and piano; she later travelled across Canada to perform traditional Ukrainian folk songs at weddings and social gatherings. In 1979 she formed the band Luba with drummer Peter Marunzak, guitarist Mark Lyman, bassist Mike Zwonok, guitarist John Nestorowich, and keyboardist Doug Short. They rose to fame in the early 1980s with the release of "Every Time I See Your Picture I Cry". Their debut EP followed, and in 1984 they released their first full-length album, entitled Secrets and Sins, which spawned the Canadian hit singles "Let it Go" and "Storm Before the Calm". The album, produced by Daniel Lanois earned her a Juno Award in 1985 for Best Female Vocalist. Luba's follow up-release, Between the Earth and Sky included the single "How Many (Rivers to Cross)". Shortly after its release, the band was involved in a serious accident (she was not on board the bus at the time) that nearly killed several members, leading Luba to take some time off. In 1988 she returned with Over 60 Minutes with Luba, a compilation of her best hits of the day. She followed up in 1989 with All or Nothing, which included the singles "Giving Away A Miracle," "I'll Watch Over You," and "Little Salvation". This would be her last album for a decade. During this time, Luba experienced personal upheavals due to the loss of several close family members. In 2000, Luba released From the Bitter to the Sweet. While the album won some critical acclaim, it did not produce as much sales and radio airplay as her earlier albums. At year's end, she was featured on a Canadian program entitled An Evening With The Stars which included both new and old material. Luba earned Juno Awards for "Female Vocalist of the Year" in 1985, 1986, and 1987. She has also received Casby's and Felix awards, and a Black Music Association Award for "Female Entertainer of the Year" (one of the very few non-black persons to receive this honour). Most recently, her music has been featured on Canadian Idol. From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luba_%28singer%29 A top twenty radio hit with the first single from her new release has LUBA firmly planted back into the Canadian music scene. "Is She A lot Like Me" is now being heard in all major Canadian markets. The song is a quirky light-hearted take on love, loss and curiosity after the fact. Everyone can relate - and this thread of human experience weaves its way throughout the new album. Released in Spring 2000, the album, From the Bitter to the Sweet, marks the strong return of LUBA. All eleven songs were written by the singer/songwriter, pulling from the experiences of her hiatus. She considers this to be her most honest and revealing album to date with a collection of songs reflecting maturity of sound and direction. The album features LUBA's trademark heart felt vocals intertwined with a modern approach and rich acoustic instrumentation, offering something for every mood. The album is not the result of resting on one's laurels, although her past accomplishments are worthy of note. With four major albums to her credit, LUBA first burst onto the Canadian music scene with "Everytime I See Your Picture". This Top Ten hit on single charts across the country prompted the release of her first major album for Capitol Records, Secrets and Sins. Released in 1984 and produced by Daniel Lanois (U2, Peter Gabriel), the album led LUBA to her first gold single "Let It Go". The song, written by LUBA, reached the number one position across the country. In 1986, LUBA released her second album, Between The Earth and Sky, that produced the Top Ten hits "How Many" and "Innocent" and became LUBA's first Platinum selling album. LUBA has also won many awards - three Felix awards (ADISQ), numerous Catsby's and five Juno awards including the Juno for Best Female Vocalist three years in a row. She has collaborated with such talents as Bryan Adams, Pierre Marchand and Naranda Walden (Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin) who chose LUBA to sing "The Best Is Yet To Come" for the 9 1/2 Weeks soundtrack that also included LUBA's hit "Let It Go". All or Nothing, released in 1990, was LUBA's second album to be certified Platinum achieving over 100,000 in sales in Canada. The second single from the new album is the title track, "From the Bitter to the Sweet". It is presently being added to radio play lists across Canada. Canadian Media has embraced LUBA's return with appearances and performances on Canada AM, CBC Morning News, Le Fureur (Quebec's most successful TV variety show on Radio Canada) and articles in MacLean's magazine and Billboard. LUBA was also the focus of a one-hour performance this year on MusiMax in Quebec. LUBA's journey has indeed been From the Bitter to the Sweet. It has all led her back to sharing these experiences through her music to her audiences. And they have welcomed her with open arms. From: http://www.maplemusic.com/artists/lub/bio.asp LUBA (b Luba Kowalchyk). Singer, songwriter, b Montreal, of Ukrainian parents, 1958. She sang in her teens for Ukrainian communities across Canada and trained briefly as a mezzo-soprano but has displayed a dynamic, gospel-inflected singing style with the rock band she formed in Montreal under her own name in 1979 with Peter Marunzak (drums), Mark Lyman (guitar), and others. An initial EP, Luba (Cap DLP-3003), included 'Everytime I See Your Picture,' popular in Canada in 1983. Several hits in a variety of pop styles followed, among them 'Let It Go' (from Secrets & Sins, Cap ST-12351) in 1984, 'How Many (Rivers to Cross)' (from Between the Earth & Sky, Cap ST-12472) in 1986, and 'When a Man Loves a Woman' (from the CD Over Sixty Minutes with Luba, Cap CDP-48553) 1987-8. The album All or Nothing (Cap C1-93176), issued in 1989, saw a change in her musicians and introduced elements of folk music. Three of its songs were popular, 'Giving Away a Miracle' in 1989 and 'Little Salvation' and 'No More Words' in 1990. All songs noted, save 'When a Man Loves a Woman,' are her own. She was a finalist with 'How Many' at the 1985 World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo. 'Let It Go' and 'The Best Is Yet to Come' were heard in the US feature Film 9 1/2 Weeks (1986). Luba toured nationally first as an opening act for Chris de Burgh and 1984-5 for Bryan Adams and then as a headliner. The TV special 'Luba, Between the Earth & Sky,' produced by Cambium Film & Video Productions, Ltd, and seen on the CBC in 1988, included footage of energetic performances at the 1987 Juno Awards ceremony, the Club Metropolis in Montreal, and the Ontario Place Forum. Luba received Juno Awards 1985-7 as best female singer and in 1986 for best video ('How Many,' directed by Greg Masuak). She also won Fˇlix Awards in 1985 for dance record of the year ('Let It Go') and in 1986 for best English pop/rock LP (Between the Earth & Sky) and as anglophone artist of the year. Canadian sales of Between the Earth & Sky and of All or Nothing exceeded 100,000. From: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1ARTU0002117