Toronto native Amália Leandro, a.k.a. DJ Amália was born to a loving Portuguese family. Amália's passion for records started early, as her fathers collection of LP's and 45's were some of her first toys.
She was first introduced to House music at the age of 16, by way of late night radio shows and warehouse parties in Toronto, such as the Twilight Zone, 23 Hop and Cola. She spent some time in New York City in the early nineties, where she quickly found her way into the underground House music scene.
While in NYC, she attended acting classes and frequented parties at legendary dance clubs such as Save the Robots, Club USA, Nells and Sound Factory. After about a year in NYC, she decided to return to Canada. It was apparent that the Toronto warehouse scene had exploded into a dance phenomena.
While pursuing acting and modeling, Amália was constantly surrounding herself with DJs, producers and promoters. She whole-heartedly supported and promoted local clubs and parties like the legendary Industry nightclub, the infamous Toronto summer boat cruises, as well as hosting several after hours where you could find DJ's like Toronto's Kenny Glasgow and NYC's DJ Romaine spinning in her livingroom. With all of this musical energy and passion for House music, she began to transform her poetry writing into song lyrics.
During a stay in London, England in the spring of 1999, Amália decided to put over a decade of clubbing to good use. She began collecting her first House records and learning the art of mixing. By the end of that summer she had gone back to New York City and by winter 99/00 was working in the studio with House music DJ/Producer Sandy Rivera of K.O.T. (she co-wrote the lyrics for "I Wanna Dance with You", which was released on Central Park Records in spring of 2000), and also co-writing lyrics with DJ/Producer Angel Moraes ("Dreaming of you").
Her gypsy-like nature eventually brought her to Miami. Influenced by DJ's like Roger Sanchez, Angel Moraes, Ceven Fisher, and Danny Tenaglia, the scene welcomed her deep, tribal, tech-House sound.
Amália was featured in the July 2001 issue of VIBE magazine in a story about female DJs during Miami Winter Music Conference.
That same year, she went to Ibiza where she played a set at Cafe Mambo for Roger Sanchez's, Release Yourself pre-party. In 2003 her releases included, "Dreaming of You" (Re-mixed by KOT) co-written by Amália on Sandy Rivera's Aurei Records, and "Closer / Live 2XS" Feat. Amália on Stickman Records.
The Cd released in 2004, Buzzin'fly Volume 1 complied and mixed by Ben Watt includes the track "Dreaming of You". "Nao Esqueca-se" (Don't Forget), was featured on one of Roger Sanchez's 2004 radio shows (releaseyourself.com) by Motivacao Featuring Amália" on Mixed Signals Music.
In 2006 her latest release, "Make Love to the music", AB Feat. Amalia, was 1 in the Beatport Deep House chart for several months.
In 2005 Amália played the closing set after Dj Rap at Crobar NYC, and at Crobar Miami she played along with DJ/Producer Ralph Falcon. She rocked the Space Miami patio and played Bang!, the outdoor music festival.
Amália has been a Miami based DJ for 6 1/2 years, playing at Karu & Y, Space, Crobar, Mansion, Buck 15, Nikki Beach, Amika, Envy, Delano, Nerve, Blue, Cafeteria, Pearl, Touch, as well as other events. The Recording Academy's 2005 holiday party @ Shine and Winter Music Conference March 2005 Amália played the opening set for NYC's legendary Junior Vasquez, for Michael Tronn's "Anthem" at Mansion. She was an "Anthem" resident, and in 2004 she played along with Peter Rauhofer (also at Crobar NYC for an Armani Exchange event), and in 2003 with Victor Calderone both for Michael Tronn's "Anthem" party, "Little" Louis Vega for the MTV Latino Awards 2003 after party, (both events were at Crobar, Miami). As well as Sandra Collins at Nerve, Miami Beach.
Amália dj'd The Blacks' Annual Gala Feb. 2005, hosted by Lea and Roy Black, benefiting Bay Point Schools, where she played the opening set for Jon Secada, and at Amika for the Nov.2004 White Party benefiting Care Resource. In March 2003, Amália Dj'd (and compiled a CD) for the charity event, Of Hope, Courage and Justice: A Global Mosaic of Women In Human Rights. Amália was featured in the Ocean Drive Magazine October 2004, Beach Patrol section, as one of "The people who make Miami". She was also on the cover of The Miami New Times, May 6-12 2004, where she appears as one of Miami's tech-house djs. Her other DJ appearances include New York, Dertroit, Acapulco, Panama, Dominican Republic, Ibiza, London, France, Portugal, Italy, and Toronto, Canada, where it all began.
Amália Leandro, is a dj, songwriter, poet, artist, actor, tv host, and is fluent in portuguese! A "renaissance gal", as quoted in Ocean Drive Magazine. Amália has hosted "Miami Music Week", and was co-hosting the TV show NO COVER on MUN 2. While doing these shows, she interviewed international DJ's such as, Paul Oakenfold, Berhouz, Pete Tong, Junkie XL, Smokin' Joe, Paul Van Dyk, Steven Lee, and Lottie, amongst others. Her paintings are on display at Blue on Espanola Way in South Beach and in 2004 she had art exhibits at Tangerine, and Crobar for an Art Basel event. She is now working on a new series of paintings.