Biography
Ten years ago, singer-pianist Manisha Shahane unwittingly launched her career as a performing songwriter when she hung posters around Central Square and invited friends to hear some of her original songs at the Cezanne Café & Bakery in Cambridge, MA on November 21, 1999. The coffee shop ran out of bread for sandwiches during what turned out to be a standing-room-only show. Afterwards, she sheepishly passed around a mailing list “just in case I perform my songs again sometime.”
Manisha has since given well over 150 performances as a performing songwriter and countless more as a guest or band member of other groups. Following the 2004 release of her debut album, "Peace in Progress," her shows garnered audiences in numerous cities in the US, as well as in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and London. After shoveling more than 40 inches of snow following a Boston blizzard, Manisha (wisely) relocated to sunny Los Angeles at the end of 2005. Established clubs at which she has appeared in the Los Angeles area include The Coffee Gallery Back Stage, Genghis Cohen, The Mint, and Temple Bar, among others. She is equally comfortable performing in family-friendly environments such as schools, nursing homes, religious halls, & community centers, such as LA’s Grammy Museum at which she performed twice this year. Manisha has also performed on college campuses including Wellesley College, Brandeis University, and Brown University.
Examples of notable invitations have included:
Women in Jazz Festival, UMass Amherst/Vermont Jazz Center (2005)
Local Colors International Festival, Roanoke, VA (2006)
Brihan Maharashtra Mandal Convention, Seattle, WA (2007)
UCLA Semel Institute Concert Series, Los Angeles, CA (2007)
With experience in genres ranging from Jazz to Classical to Rock to Indian music to Reggae to Afro-Cuban Armenian Salsa – and her original music - she has worked with musicians such as pianist Vince Evans (Luther Vandross, Dianne Reeves), percussionist Jerry Leake (Ali Akbar Khan, Natraj), bassist Eli Magen (Israeli Philharmonic), drummer Alison Miller (Sheila Jordan, Norah Jones), plus guitarists Kevin Barry (Mary Chapin Carpenter, Paula Cole) & Prasanna (Joe Lovano, Hari Prasad Chaurasia), and multi-instrumentalist Akili Jamal Haynes (Lenny Kravitz, Roberta Flack). One of her memorable experiences was singing at Carnegie Hall as a member of Boston’s Chorus pro Musica.
Combining a coming-of-age in southern Virginia with her Maharashtrian heritage, Manisha’s performances are a musical collage of folk, jazz, and Indian traditions, featuring her original songs & compositions, as well as covers and special arrangements. A 2008, 2009, & 2010 recipient of the ASCAPlus Award in the Jazz and Popular Division, Manisha’s latest release is a new single titled "Speak, Memory Speak" (Oct 2009), through which she hopes to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s Disease. In 2008 and 2009, she took some time off to tend to family matters and complete her next album, "When Parallel Lines Meet." Her sophomore project is scheduled for release at the beginning of 2010.
Instrumentation
For Solo Performances:
Manisha Shahane: Voice, piano, guitar, frame drum
For Band Performances:
Manisha Shahane: Voice, piano, guitar, frame drum
Geoff Rakness: Upright bass
Mark San Filippo: Drums
Dawn Norfleet: Flute/Vocals
Special guests may participate on:
Tabla/multi-percussion (in addition to or in lieu of drums), Bansuri (bamboo flute), Electric and/or acoustic guitars, Cello
Discography
Upcoming Releases
2010 “When Parallel Lines Meet”, Manisha Shahane – Sophomore Album
Independent Releases
2009 “Speak, Memory Speak”, Manisha Shahane – Single (not featured on any album)
2004 “Peace in Progress”, Manisha Shahane – Debut Album
Examples of other projects on which Manisha appears:
2005 “Blind – Desi Remixes”, Red Star Entertainment/Sony (India)
2004 “Crimean Dance Party”, Black Sea Salsa
2001 “911”, Jadius, single
1995 “Colored Glass Canopy”, Distraction
1994 “Let’s Not Split Atoms”, Distraction, demo
1993 “Bar Belles”, Virginia Belles
1991 “Belle Bottoms”, Virginia Belles
1990 “Acabellea”, Virginia Belles
Media Placement
2009 Public Service Announcement to prevent domestic violence
produced by South Asian Network uses song "Shyam Rao-chi Mulgee" by Manisha Shahane
Links
| http://ManishaMusic.com |
| Manisha Shahane - Official Website |
| Manisha Shahane on Twitter |
| Manisha Shahane - Artist Page on Facebook |
| Manisha Shahane on YouTube |
| Manisha Shahane on MySpace |