Martha D Lewis
British artist blending Mediterranean world music with jazz and electronica.
Martha D Lewis (also known as Martha Lewis and Martha Demetri Lewis) is a British performing and recording artist active in the contemporary jazz and world music scene in the UK and Europe. Born in London in 1967 to Greek Cypriot immigrant parents, she works as a presenter, broadcaster, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and educator. Her music blends Mediterranean and other world influences with jazz and electronica, and her work is held in the British Library.
- born
- 1967, London
- field
- Performing and recording artist, composer, broadcaster, educator
- nationality
- British
- known_for
- Mediterranean world jazz, founding UK Jazz Plus, album All That You See
Lore & Background
Martha D Lewis was born and raised in London to Greek Cypriot immigrant parents. She began studying guitar and voice at age seven and formed a semi-professional covers band at 14. She studied music at Middlesex University, where she also trained in opera singing for three years. After graduating, her career launched as part of a group representing Cyprus in the Eurovision Song Contest in Luxembourg. In the early 1990s, she was part of the award-winning music-comedy duo Donna & Kebab, formed by singer and actress Eve Polycarpou with another performer (not Martha D Lewis); the duo later renamed Martha and Eve, toured the UK, Europe, and the Middle East, and released three albums, a club single, and a DVD of their show Live at the Hackney Empire.
Reader's Guide
Martha D Lewis's significance lies in her sustained fusion of Mediterranean and world music traditions with jazz and electronica, a style she maintained until her 2022 album All That You See marked a departure from that trademark genre. Her work has been commissioned by the Arts Council of Great Britain, PRS Foundation, and London Arts Board, and broadcast on BBC Radio 3. She served as Patron of the Leukaemia Cancer Society UK. In 2022, she established UK Jazz Plus, a platform to promote new storytelling in jazz. Her album Homage To Roza (2015) featured drummer Jack De Johnette, and her track 'Misirlou' appeared on the Best of European Jazz 2010 compilation. Her inclusion in the British Library underscores her archival importance.
Did You Know?
- Martha D Lewis gained a master's degree in songwriting in 2018.
- Her 2022 album All That You See was recorded at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studio.
- She presented a BBC Radio 3 documentary titled A Journey Into Rembetika-Music of the Outsiders.
- Lewis's 2015 album Homage To Roza featured a range of notable musicians, though drummer Jack DeJohnette is not listed among the performers.
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