A US-born and raised singer, pianist, writer and composer to Indian parents who have a passion for music in a variety of styles, she is naturally rooted in Indian musical traditions. On this new album, for example, you will find a track called “See Light” which is inspired by the evening tradition of lighting oil lamps and which is extended to trying to fire a candle inside oneself; in doing so, she incorporates the voices of young students aged 5 – 6 from a school in the Boston area and she also recites a prayer in her parents’ native Marathi language. A beautiful and very uplifting track in the true spirit of World Music, “See Light” was a perfect match for our Diwali (festival of lights) shows. Throughout the album you will find such inspirations or topics close to Manisha’s heart, some drawn from her own experiences, obviously.

The whole album is actually pulling you towards worldly beats and experiences. “In Search of Yaman”, which is based on a classical Hindustani Raag called Yaman, is explored by Manisha in her own unique way with a modern ensemble. It is a beautiful rendition with deep meditative feel and vibe to it. Originally, since she had a Western audience in mind, she was worried that this track was a tad long with a length of over 7 minutes. However, once you sample first few minutes you will not be able to track time—you’ll wish it continued on. It’s a great and well-done track to introduce the unfathomable Hindustani Raag Yaman to the World Music audience.

You will also find such universality in the album’s opening piece called “Girls Gone World”, in which Manisha is sharing her experiences with other female artists of Indian origin and other ancestries. Be prepared to be blown away by Indian, Western, and Middle Eastern influences in this super multilingual track, bonding the girls who have truly gone world (not wild).

Though it’s easy to put Manisha’s music in a World Music bucket for simplicity, she prefers to term it more specifically as “music rooted in folk, jazz and Indian traditions.” Keeping true to folk traditions, she brings the community and local culture into her singing and musical compositions. For example, in a track called “First Dance”, she draws on her memories of growing up in Virginia, recalling a pair of safety shoes her dad wore whenever he went to the floor of the nylon manufacturing plant where he worked. As only an artist does, she is able to weave the “steel-toed shoes” into the story told in this simple and soothing song. There is a sense of authenticity and a clear-headed approach in her storytelling and singing which tends to touch your inner spirits.

There are also serious shades that this up-and-coming artist touches, both on her new album and as a part of her work, in general. In the song called “Mother Don’t Cry”, you will feel the pain and emotions in her lyrics and composition; it is an especially moving track on “When Parallel Lines Meet.” A song that is not part of her album project is a recent single, “Speak Memory Speak.” This emotional and educational piece reaches out to the world to raise awareness about Alzheimer's disease. She was inspired by Michael Jackson’s recent and untimely death and her own reflections on popular musical imprints in her early life. The title is inspired by a memoir titled Speak, Memory, by Russian novelist Vladmir Nabakov. “It essentially is the voice of someone who is suffering from Alzheimer’s”, says Manisha, in a somber tone.

Manisha’s roots do not stop in folk, jazz, and Indian traditions, for our roots do not stop when we have the power to infuse and continuously feed on the same in nature. Case in point, witness “Sunset Ayega” (Sunset will come), a simple composition that Manisha penned this past fall, while watching her local neighborhood block under the natural light of dusk one day. The creation of this piece highlights Manisha’s thought process as an artist and how she is able to integrate natural inspirations and experiences in her work. And when nature inspires you, magic does happen.

In a nutshell, Manisha Shahane comes across as a naturally gifted talent with a very compassionate and loving heart. As mentioned earlier, her music is fresh, uncluttered and right from the heart, with a true universal vibe to it. It does invoke peace and thoughts on issues or questions dear to us in our daily walks of life. She fully embodies the very meaning of the Sanskrit saying, Satvichaar Vasudev Kutmubah – the world is kin to the kind-hearted, and you will surely hear it in her music and compositions. Manisha plays and composes her music mostly on piano, and is an Internet savvy musician who is fully plugged into the Web 2.0 culture via Twitter, Skype, YouTube, Facebook, Myspace, and her blog.

Her recent single “Speak, Memory Speak” is available on iTunes and at other major online outlets.  When Parallel Lines Meet launches on April 16th 2010 in the United States.  Join Manisha's mailing list in order to receive news and special offers. For more information, visit her website at www.ManishaMusic.com.

Comments (6) >>

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written by Sagar J, December 29, 2009

Where is the show man?

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written by ryadav, December 29, 2009

Hi Sagar - It shall be available soon for general release. The official launch for US is in March 2010. We are a tad bit early. However, hang in there and we shall post the show soon.

Also, please do not forget to register here as well as on ManishaMusic.com.

Thanks.

--Raj

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