Amanda Shaw

Biography: "Everybody's favorite these days is Amanda Shaw, a 12-year-old fiddle virtuoso from Mandeville who has delighted audiences in Louisiana and across America with her bubbly spirit and big-time talent. Part of the budding star's great appeal is her warmth and bursting jubilance. And you can always count on a smile and a hug from Amanda" -- Yada Yada, the Magazine

The precocious Amanda became hooked on violin when she was barely four years old after seeing a symphony broadcast on television. Her parents were able to locate a small violin that was just her size and classical violin lessons soon began. At seven, she was the youngest person ever to play with the Baton Rouge Symphony as a soloist.

Amanda moved from classical to Cajun music after she was contacted by the Rosie O'Donnell Show. The show's producer thought the audience might like to hear a sampling of homegrown Louisiana music. Eager to be on the show and to expand her repertoire, Amanda set off upon the task of learning new material. The result is that in 1999 Amanda played "Jambalaya" on Rosie's show and was invited back again this year to promote her then new CD, "Little Black Dog."

With the release of this first CD, Amanda brought her crossover Cajun/Zydeco/New Orleans sound to a national and international audience, fueled by appearances not only on The Rosie O'Donnell Show, but also on Zoom, Louisiana Jukebox and the worldwide, number one, Spanish language show, Univision's Sabado Gigante.

Amanda Shaw and her band, The Cute Guys (all grown-ups, by the way), have been regulars on the Louisiana music festival circuit, receiving rave reviews for performances at Festival Inter-nationale, the French Quarter Festival, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Of Amanda?s Jazz Fest performance, RollingStone.com wrote, "Cajun fiddle wizard Amanda Shaw left mouths agape."

Amanda's wide appeal crosses many lines of age, ethnicity and social standing. She is often called upon to entertain at Louisiana schools, nursing homes, and a variety of high-profile charity and civic events. Her devotion to public service through the arts has led her to be named Student Art Ambassador for the State of Louisiana. She recently performed with Ellis Marsalis, Rockin' Dopsie, Jr. and Doug Kershaw at the ceremony to release the Louisiana State Quarter and she teamed up with Cyndi Lauper to open for Cher at the New Orleans stop of the VH1 Divas/Cher Farewell Tour then a few weeks later opened for Charlie Daniels at Zephyr Field. She was named one of the top "Forty Under Forty" to watch in this winter's Gambit Magazine.

Amanda lives in Mandeville with her Guatemalan-born mother, Renee Amaya-Shaw; her Louisiana-native dad, Charles; her younger brother, Andrew (who prefers to stay out of the limelight except for occasional appearances in television commercials); and their six cats and two dogs. Life is never dull in Shawville.… Expand