Misstress Barbara

Misstress Barbara
Misstress Barbara on the red carpet of the 2010 Juno Awards
Background information
Birth name	Barbara Bonfiglio
Also known as	Barbara Brown, My Prada Heels
Born	1975
Origin	Sicily, Italy / Hometown: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Genres	Techno House Electronica
Occupations	Producer, DJ, Songwriter, Singer
Website	Misstress Barbara's Website

Barbara Bonfiglio, better known as Misstress Barbara (the misspelling is an intentional portmanteau [i.e. "miss" and "stress"]), is an Italian-born, Canadian electronica disc jockey.^[1][2] Born in 1975, she moved from Sicily to Montreal, Quebec at the age of eight, and has resided in the city ever since.^[2][3] She has also produced and DJ'd house music under the alias Barbara Brown, and has used the alias My Prada Heels.^[4]

Career

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the Université du Québec à Montréal.^[4] After drumming in bands since the age of twelve, she began DJing in 1995 and established Relentless Records in 1999.^[4] In 2001 she released the mix album Relentless Beats (EQ Recordings), with a second volume the following year, along with two mix albums for Trust the DJ.^[5] In 2003, to avoid legal issues with a UK company of the same name, she established ITURNEM. Early success includes her song "Never Could Have Your Heart" being licensed in Rockstar Games' arcade racing video game Midnight Club II. In 2006, she reelased the mix album Come with Me....^[6]

In 2009 she released the debut artist album as a singer, I'm No Human,^[7][8] which was nominated for a 2010 Juno Award for Best Dance Recording Of The Year, and included the single "I'm Running", featuring fellow Montreal musician Sam Roberts. The album also features collaborations with Brazilian Girls and Bjorn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John. "I'm No Human" was born out of unhappy circumstances, sparked by the tragic passing of a close family member features Misstress Barbara step from behind the turntables in front of the microphone and was recorded in her home town of Montreal. To perform songs from the album, she has recently created a new live band entitled Misstress Barbara With Girls On A Ducati and draws from her experience in electronic music infusing it with live instruments. The live show debuted at Le Festival International de Jazz de Montréal 2009, to a sold out crowd at Montreal's Club Soda.

In July 2010, Misstress Barbara will perform for the second year in at row at Le Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.

Discography

Albums

• I'm No Human (2009), EQ

Mix albums

• Relentless Beats (2001), Moonshine
• "Relentless Beats Vol 2" (2002), Moonshine
• Trust the DJ: MB01 (2002), Trust the DJ
• Trust the DJ: MB02 (2002), Trust the DJ
• Come with Me... (2006), Uncivilized World

Singles

• "I'm Running" ft. Sam Roberts – #67 Canada
• "Four On The Floor"
• "Dance Me to the End of Love"
• "Don't Leave/ Come BacK"
• "Barcelona"
• "K-10/ Azzurri"
• "Come With Me"
• "On Fire" (Misstress Barbara & Carl Cox)
• "Gloria Grande"
• "In Da Moda Da Nite"
• "Misstress Barbara vs. Barbara Brown Vol 2"
• "Misstress Barbara vs. Barbara Brown Vol 1"
• "Growing Pains"
• "Effect Karma"
• "666 FVW"
• "Emotions On Plastic EP"
• "Naked Thought EP"
• "Barbara Brown Presents: Il Minestrone"
• "Zero ID3"
• "Relentless Desire EP"
• "Barbara Brown Presents: Dammelo, Mi Piace EP"
• "Royal Comfort (By Foreign Textures - Misstress Barbara & Christian Smith)
• "Cry And Dry"
• "First Reality EP"
• "Never Could Have Your Heart"
• "Endless Passion"
• "Sagittarius"
• "International Artists EP"
• "Steps Towards Comprehension EP"

Compilations

• "Iturnem In Pink"
• "White Is Pure"

Awards and Nominations

Year	Presenter	Award	Result
2010	Juno Awards	"I'm No Human" - Best Dance Recording Of The Year	Nomination
2009	GAMIQ Awards (Quebec Indie Music Awards)	"I'm No Human" - Best Electro Album Of The Year	Nomination
2002	UK Underground Dance Music Awards	"Best Breakthrough DJ"	Won
2002	MIMI Awards	SODRAC Prize	Won

See also

• List of Quebec musicians
• List of Quebec record labels
• Music of Quebec
• Culture of Quebec
• Disc jockey
• list of Italian Canadians

References

1. ^ Wigney, Allan "DJ Misstress Barbara on a mission", Canoe.ca, retrieved 2011-01-02
2. ^ ^{a b} Tan, Emily (2006) "Techno Tales: To Misstress Barbara, Playing the Right Music Always Trumps Self-Glory—Even If It Means Spinning in the Dark", DJ Times, Vol. 19, No. 4, retrieved 2011-01-02
3. ^ Potts, Diana "Misstress Barbara Biography", Allmusic, retrieved 2011-01-02
4. ^ ^{a b c} "Biography of Misstress Barbara", Resident Advisor, retrieved 2011-01-02
5. ^ "Misstress Barbara - Relentless Beats", Resident Advisor, retrieved 2011-01-02
6. ^ Prato, Greg "Come with Me... Review", Allmusic, retrieved 2011-01-02
7. ^ Girard, Stéphane (2009) "Misstress Barbara - I'm No Human", Resident Advisor, 17 June 2009, retrieved 2011-01-02
8. ^ Leijon, Erik (2009) "Misstress Barbara's Human After All", CHARTattack, 17 July 2009, retrieved 2011-01-02

External links

• Official website
• Misstress Barbara on Myspace
• Profile on The DJ List
• Fazer Magazine article November 2009

Persondata
Name	Barbara, Mistress
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1975
Place of birth	Sicily, Italy
Date of death
Place of death