Marianne Aya Omac with Joan Baez

It's the voice that first grabs listeners' ears, but the power of the songs wins them over, whether sung in French, Spanish, or English. The charismatic French singer-songwriter-guitarist Marianne Aya Omac makes her Bay Area debut at Ashkenaz in a concert of original songs. There's a special guest appearance by the star who inspired Omac to become a singer: her fan Joan Baez, along with Baez' son Gabriel Harris (founder of Fairfax-based Rhythm Village) on percussion, and a violinist and cellist on a few songs. But the focus is all on Omac and her folk-rooted singing that ranges from a lullaby whisper to full gospel shouting. Hers is a rare and original talent. 

Omac composes songs that deal with important life issues from love to social justice. According to Omac, the concert date on the tenth anniversary of the Sep. 11 tragedy "is a coincidence, and it could be an opportunity to make a positive statement about differences." Much of her musical life has been involved with uniting those differences in music, from singing with gospel mass choirs to sharing the stage with world music greats at the Montreal African Nights Festival in 2010.

Omac is unknown in the U.S., which is why Baez is joining in this concert, to help attract an audience to her amazing talent. The two first sang together in concert in 2009 in Omac's home city, Montpellier, in southern France. But the connection is much older. Omac says that her mother gave her Baez's "Live in Europe" album when she was 12 years old. "This day I decided to be a singer and began to play guitar." For six years as a street singer, 300 days a year, Omac honed her music. Singing in a gospel choir, living in the gypsy neighborhood of Montpellier, and traveling in Latin America added to her music's development. In 1997 she formed her own band and recorded two albums, then moved on to lead choirs, before choosing her current solo career. After her debut album, "Be My Witness," Omac's new CD, "Solo" (which features appearances by Baez and Harris), has not been released in the U.S. yet but will be available at this concert.