A former medical sales representative has returned to her first love, music.
Edie DaPonte, moved with her husband to the Island about 15 years ago. Her newfound love of the Island life perhaps rekindled an old passion, prompting her to take a chance on fulfilling a dream.
DaPonte had a music career when she was in her 20s, but took the safe route of finishing university and following a career in the corporate world.
"Just over the last four or five years I started reintroducing myself back into the music and just meeting the right people," DaPonte said. "Most recently, I decided that it was time to record some originals and was encouraged to do that, particularly, by Joey Smith, one of the musicians I work really closely with here."
Those originals are featured on her new album, Young at Heart, named in part for DaPonte's outlook on life sparked by the fun she's having with her new career.
DaPonte is gaining recognition for her talent and musical style - it's jazz leaning toward adult contemporary with really rich vocals, by the way - on the south Island and Lower Mainland, but she has never performed on the Island north of Crofton and Mill Bay.
"It's kind of exciting," DaPonte said. "It's a tour. It's a second album I've released called Young at Heart and we sold out here at Herman's (Jazz Club, Victoria) and had such fun and then, interestingly enough, I realized I don't know anyone in Nanaimo. Why would anyone want to come and hear me?"
She's looking forward to sharing her latest work with an audience in an intimate setting like Simon Holt, where she will perform Thursday (Feb. 25) at 8 p.m. Tickets, $20, are available at Simon Holt.
"The album was produced by Joby Baker, in Victoria, and he's a Juno-nominated producer, so he knows how to make the album sound good and my job is to perform the live version as good as Joby intended."
To learn more about DaPonte and get acquainted with her musical style, visit www.edie.ca.