Martin Rivas' official bio from his Reverb Nation page:

All great art has a sense of duality, and Martin Rivas’ music is a perfect portrayal of that. Within a sad song, there is a glimmer of optimism and trancendence; hidden beneath joyful, carefree notes, lies a sense of struggle and triumph. On the surface, the songs are uplifting and sweet to one’s ears, but if one digs deeper, they will find many more layers to each story. Martin Rivas’ music takes the listener on a journey that feels new and familiar, a most enjoyable ride.

Charisma and undeniable warmth are just two of the many qualities that Brooklyn-born Martin Rivas brings to the stage with his infectiously melodic songs and beaming smile. This West Village and Lower East Side mainstay has made a name for himself in New York City as one of the hardest working musicians around, playing gigs nearly every night that feature both original work and longtime favorites.

Along with establishing the beloved Campfire series with drummer Craig Meyer which holds long-running weekly residencies at several top city venues, Rivas has also taken the stage at spots such as the legendary Bitter End, Rockwood Music Hall, the NYC River to River Festival, Joe's Pub, and The Living Room. He was a finalist in the prestigious New York Songwriters Circle 2009 contest for his song, “North,” in addition to releasing his fourth full-length CD, Sea of Clouds, this past August, an album that takes us on an intimate journey down the winding roads of emotion this singer has traveled over the years.

Martin has been fortunate enough to share the stage with artists like Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, Aimee Mann, legendary songwriter Jimmy Webb, Gov't Mule, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Live, Joan Jett, Hootie & the Blowfish, and many more.

Martin is a true diamond in the rough, engaging the audience, singing from his soul, and reminding us all of the power and simplicity of raw, honest, music for music’s sake.

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Martin Rivas was a member of Serious Pilgrim in the early 1990s, a band which toured heavily and released 3 EPs before releasing their only full-length, self-titled album in 1994.

Martin has released 5 solo efforts: Glorious (2000), Bottleneck (2002), Pride of the Valley (2005), Sea of Clouds (2009), and The Convalescence EP (2010), the latest album being recorded while recovering from surgery and resultant life-threatening complications. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.