"Holiday Cheer!" is an original holiday song by pianist/chanteuse Marie Haddad. Both childlike and beautiful, this little tune takes you on a stroll through the snow hand in hand with the object of your affection...look out for the mistletoe and hot coco! Marie Haddad is one of San Diego’s acoustic music staples. She is a three-time San Diego Music Awards nominee whose debut CD “A Beautiful Road” was released in 2006. Her songwriting and piano stylings have been described as “somewhere between Kate Bush and Leonard Cohen” (San Diego Downtown News) and it’s been said that her voice “can hold your attention whatever she is singing” (North County Times). In addition to Bush and Cohen, Haddad’s experimental piano arrangements, friendly melodies and overall sound have also been likened to other artists such as Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan, Dido, Amy Lee, Jane Siberry and early Elton John. Who’s Marie? Marie Haddad started playing piano at the age of 5 but quit formal training at 11 because her attention span required constant breaks for cartwheels. After having to sell her piano in college, she missed playing so much that she would regularly sneak into a well-known San Diego hotel in the middle of the night to practice on the grand in their main ballroom. Soon, the cleaning staff started to recognize her. After playing in various San Diego bands (everything from a mall houseband to a Xanadu cover project), she joined 12 piece 60’s soul outfit the San Diego Beat Organization. The group was nominated as Best New Band at the 2002 San Diego Music Awards, but disbanded shortly thereafter. It was only then that Haddad finally began publicly performing her own songs. She released her debut full-length CD “A Beautiful Road” in 2006 and began what has now become her typical busy performance schedule. By 2007, with the help of internet radio play, Haddad began garnering fans from around the globe. Haddad was honored with nominations at the 2007 and 2009 San Diego Music Awards as Best Acoustic Act in San Diego. After completing an ambitious West Coast/Las Vegas tour, performing on the East Coast, and scoring the music for two independent short films, Haddad is now at work writing and recording music for her next CD to be released in 2011.