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Les Sampou (pronounced “Less Sampoo”) – Boston Based Singer-songwriter Genre: Americana Les Sampou's repertoire specializes in country blues and includes original material from her five albums of cross-style, upbeat, and ballads, with Rock and Roots selections thrown in to create an exceptional evening of music you'll be talking about long after the lights go down. Les Sampou is a high energy, passionate singer and superb guitarist, in demand as a live performer for nearly two decades, playing clubs and concert halls and such prestigious festivals as Montreal Jazz Festival, Toronto Blues Festival, Kerrville Folk Festival (where she won the New Folk Songwriting Award), Philadelphia Folk Festival, Winnipeg, and Falcon Ridge to name a few. She has opened for the likes of the Grammy winning Nashville duo “Sugarland” and Lee Ann Rimes, Aretha Franklin, and Heart. Sampou has conducted workshops at Berklee School of Music and appeared on the top syndicated radio programs such as Acoustic Cafe, World Cafe, and NPR. Sampou has released five albums, three on her own label and two on Rounder Records, Her second album, "Fall from Grace", topped the Gavin Americana Charts nationwide. Her most recent release “Lonesomeville” (2010) charted number 2 on the US/European Americana F.A.R. Charts and led to her performance at the 25th Anniverary SXSW Conference in Austin, TX. Les is working on her sixth album to be released in 2013. Notable Venues: Cape Cod Melody Tent - MA The Music Circus - Cohasset, MA The Hatch Shell, Boston, MA SXSW - Austin, TX Showcase Live, Patriots Place, MA Tin Angel - Philadelphia, Pa. World Cafe - Philadelphia, Pa. Bottom Line - New York City, N.Y. Bluebird Café - Nashville Sanders Theatre - Boston, Ma. Club Passim - Cambridge, Ma. Eddie's Attic - Atlanta, Ga. Freight & Salvage - Berkley, CA The Globe Theater - MD Masters Musicians Festival - KY Old Town School of Music - Chicago The Turning Point - NY The Ark - MI Café Lena - Saratoga Springs, NY Avalon Theatre - MD Sample List of Notable Talent Les has opened for: Johnny Lang Aretha Franklin Sugarland Darius Rucker (Hootie) Lee Ann Rimes Heart Pat Benetar Richard Thompson Ani DeFranco Shawn Colvin Robert Cray Marty Stuart James Cotton "Sampou never wavers from a steady tone of genuineness. sharply observant songs." DOWNBEAT "Powerfully expressive, her new album, "Lonesomeville,'' is a personal Top Ten favorite of the year." STEVE MORSE , Writer BOSTON GLOBE/ ROLLING STONE “'Lonesomeville' evokes a Tom Waits-like world." SING OUT