Sheela Bringi

 

Indian-American musician Sheela Bringi has been exploring the connections between her ancestral and actual homelands her entire life. The talented young singer and multi-instrumentalist plays a 36-string harp, the Indian harmonium and bansuri (Indian bamboo flute).

 

As a young woman Bringi was influenced by M.I.A. and Dead Can Dance, studied with Cecil Taylor and Meredith Monk, while at the same time deepened her studies with Indian classical masters like G.S. Sachdev and Aashish Khan.

 

This unique upbringing has resulted in her debut album, Incantations, which is rooted in India’s classical music tradition and the beauty of its mantras, as well as a groundbreaking exploration of American jazz and blues.

 

Sheela has performed in a wide range of venues, including concert halls and universities presenting traditional material, yoga studios leading kirtans and in dance clubs overtop throbbing, bass-heavy beats. She has appeared or toured with Karsh Kale, DJ Drez, EarthRise SoundSystem, Masood Ali Khan and Srikalogy, among many others.