Olga Wilhelmine Munding (born October 18, 1976) is an American New Orleans–based blues musician, producer and actress.
Early life and education Munding was classically trained in music as a child. She went to the Nueva School for gifted children in Hillsborough, California, where she received a Yehudi Menuhin scholarship in classical piano, violin and music composition. She went into public school when her parents divorced and that began a long spiral downwards into "the blues", which finally culminated into hitting rock bottom with her divorce many years from Clarksdale-based Squirrel Nut Zippers musician James "Jimbo" Mathus. She studied drama and musical theater at San Mateo Performing Arts Center in San Mateo, California, and Judy Berlin's, Kids on Camera in San Francisco.
In college, she lived in Boulder, CO and hosted multiple radio shows at KGNU and produced a syndicated college show called Joes Blue Plate Special which aired on over 200 college stations and had a sponsorship with Doc Martin's. At the radio station, she hosted six regular local radio shows on KGNU Boulder/Denver Colorado, as well as ran the Community Calendar. In 2000, she was voted "the most alluring voice on the front range" by Best Of Boulder, Boulder Weekly newspaper.
Career Music Munding is a blues vocalist and guitar player known for her sultry voice and Southern sound, performing and recording under the singular name Olga™. Munding first took interest in the blues, when she was in high school. She developed her signature style through an extended tutelage under the pioneering female blues musician Jessie Mae Hemphill. Munding and Hemphill recorded together extensively and participated together in Martin Scorsese’s The Blues.
Munding has released five albums on her label 219 Records, Now Is The Time, North Mississippi Christmas, Whatever You Want, Kiss Your Blues Away, and Blues Babe.[New Releases] Olga "Now Is The Time" Jackson Free Press, October 18, 2006 In 2011, she released her fourth album "Whatever You Want", which was written with Cody Dickinson of the Grammy-nominated North Mississippi Allstars and mixed and produced by Emmy winning producer Winn McElroy.JUNE 2011 SONICBIDS “ARTISTS 2 WATCH” "The record was produced, engineered and mixed by Emmy winning producer Winn McElroy at his studio, Black Wings Studio in Water Valley MS.Olga's Whatever You Want featuring Cody Dickinson Swampland.com
She has played with Chris Isaak, Los Lobos, North Mississippi Allstars and co-engineered the Grammy nominated song, "Monkey to Man" by Elvis Costello.Episode 303 Artist: Olga Wilhelmine Munding Chicagoacoustic.net Quote: “Los Lobos "adopted" me, and let me hang out and observe how they did things. I often sat on the stage during their shows."Olga Wilhelmine with Cody Dickinson River Cities Reader 23 JUNE 2010
She is also the founder and president of the Jessie Mae Hemphill Foundation, which honors the legendary and influential musician who served as her mentor and friend.Jessie Mae Hemphill Profile The State Journal posted July 24, 2006Blues musician Jessie Mae Hemphill dies Blues News 30/07/2006Jessie Mae Hemphill, 71, Blues Musician, Dies, The New York Times. July 25, 2006, The foundation supports, preserves, and archives the indigenous music of northern Mississippi and provides assistance for musicians in need from the region who could not survive on meager publishing royalties. This gained prominence in 2008 when Munding fought publicly with a popular musician Cat Power who has used but not credited a Hemphill song on one of her albums.Matador Records Skips Important Credit on Cat Power's Jukebox SF Weekly. Andy Tennille Wednesday, Apr 9 2008 On August 16, 2011, Munding was elected to the Blues Foundation's Board of Directors.Blues Foundation The Blues Foundation Board of Directors posted August 17, 2011
On February 3, 2012, Munding in association with the Jessie Mae Hemphill Foundation organized the “Hill Country Blues Celebration” in Como, Mississippi to celebrate the “Repatriation of Como, Mississippi Recordings, Photographs and Videos from the Alan Lomax Collection” and the loan of the Hill Country Blues Photography Collection from the Jessie Mae Hemphill (JMH) Foundation to the Emily Jones Pointer Library. Alan Lomax was an American folklorist and ethnomusicologist who traveled throughout the United States, Europe and the Caribbeans as part of his quest to record previously unrecorded and often overlooked folk music. Lomax visited the Como area during the 1950s and again in the 1970s. His recordings, photographs, and film from his time in Como comprise the collection presented to Como's Emily Jones Pointer Library. Lomax's recordings, film and photos are in the process of digitization and wider availability online.
She released her fifth album, a Christmas EP in 2012 called North Mississippi Christmas.
In 2023, Munding released a collection of demo songs from her early recording days called Blues Babe 23, a throwback to the title of her first album from 2003, Blues Babe. This was followed in 2024 with her first published book of songs and poetry titled Blues & Musings published by Covenant Books and coincides with a companion EP of the same title, consisting of songs in the book.
Acting She has appeared in numerous television shows and movies. She acted, and co-produced in the short film, The Statue which not only screened in 36 different film festivals, it won the New Orleans Film Festival in 2010., and producing the Jessie Mae Hemphill & Friends documentary,"Dare You Do It Again". In 2016, Munding began audiobook narration.
Filmography + Actress Roles in Films Year Film Role Notes2010 Statue Actress (Girl Musician) Short film The Somnambulist Actress (Nurse) Thriller Red Mary Louise Parker photo double Action/ Comedy/ Crime2011 Cutoff, LA Actress (Alice) Short/ Drama2012 Django Unchained Stand-in / violinist Western The Courier Actress (Doctor)Action/ Crime/ Thriller2013 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Stand-inAction/ Fantasy2014 Gone Actress (Mysterious Traveller) Short, Mystery Devil's Due Actress (Violinist) Horror 13 SinsActress (Pianist) Horror/ Thriller Bad Country Actress (Waitress) Crime/ Drama2015Bullets at the Ballet Actress (Mdme. Krakatov)Action, Short film Paranormal Abduction Actress (Nurse) Thriller Bad Ass 3: Bad Asses on the Bayou Actress (Violinist) Action, Drama Focus Actress (Nicky's Crew) Comedy, Crime, Drama Runaway Hearts Actress (Drug Buyer 2) Drama, Family2016 10 Cloverfield Lane Stunt and photo double for Mary Elizabeth Winstead Thriller2017 Vore Nina (lead) Drama2020Night Teeth Stunts Netflix drama2023 The Boogeyman Stunt double for Marin Ireland Thriller + Actress Roles in TelevisionYearTitleRoleNotes2010TremeActress (Mardi Gras Muse)1 episode2015Scream Queens Actress and Stunts (Lady Red Devil)4 episodes2016Salem Actress and Stunts (Female Refugee) 1 episode2018NCIS: New Orleans Actress (Helo EMT) 1 episode2021Blood Relative Stunt double for Melissa Leopilot2022Leverage: Redemption S2 Stunt double for Jackie Goldston and Taylor Shurte2 episodes2023Secrets of Sulphur Springs Stunt double for Kelly Frye1 episode
Discography Blues Babe (2003) Kiss Your Blues Away (2004) Now is the Time (2006) Whatever You Want (2011) North Mississippi Christmas (2012) Blues Babe 23 (2023) Blues & Musings (2024)
Awards Best Short Film 2010 Statue at the New Orleans Film Festival.
Best Original Song 2012 ("Loving You is All I Know" from Statue) at Treasure Coast International Film Festival.
Best Film, for movie Statue at Brainwash Film Festival in 2012
Best of the Fest, for Statue at Short Sweet Film Fest in 2013
Best Louisiana Film, for Vore at New Orleans Horror Film Festival 2017
Prominent positions held In August 2015, Munding was elected as Local Board Member (New Orleans) of Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and elected in 2019 to the National Board. From 2011 to 2014, she served on the Blues Foundation's Board of Directors.
In mid-2020, Munding began a quest to search for fellow performers' unclaimed residuals held in trust by SAG-AFTRA by using social media to assist in searching for performers or their estates to locate them.
References
External links Magic Moment from Olga Wilhelmine WWOZ.org
SAG-AFTRA Board Member Olga Wilhelmine on a Mission To Connect Actors With Their Unclaimed Residuals Deadline.com Munding Radio Pandora Munding on IMDb.com Published short story about Jessie Mae Hemphill - Mississippi Folklife Magazine