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Mani Khaira throws back his head and sings. The emotions he is turning around as he sings sound real. They sound honest. There is no fake anger, summoned for the occasion, for the effect. Mani Khaira is in the song, lost in it. In these moments he is transcendent. He goes where the song takes him. This might mean floating atop a melody or opening up to what it suggests. That sometimes requires a leap of faith. Not everybody takes that chance of doing something more and risking falling flat.
Mani Khaira does.
Such uncertainty adds to the urgency of his songs. These are personal reflections. Real and honest like his singing. Being open to their melodic turns requires no such leap of faith. They exist to take the listener away. And maybe share a moment of mutual recognition. - Tom Harrisson, Vancouver Province
At first, the title of Mani Khaira's debut seems appropriate enough. Thanks, in part, to producers Gary Durban and Marcy Playground's John Wozniak, the disc sounds more like the work of an industry pro than a talented newcomer. At the same time, though, the production sometimes threatens to overpower Khaira's voice, which has a natural, Neil Finn-ish warmth. Much of the material ends up sounding somewhat overwrought, and songs like "Change for You" and "Morning" aren't strong enough to support their lavish arrangements. Far better are the more upbeat numbers; the ones, like the title track, "Anchor", and "Camera", that demonstrate Khaira's ear for a catchy chorus. Meanwhile, a stellar cast of locals, including guitarist Sean Ashby, bassist Doug Elliott, and programmer Phil Western, who adds industrial textures to "Wired", help fill out the keyboard-based sound. Khaira has the instincts and, apparently, the connections to go far--he's already opened for John Mayer here in town--but something tells me he can do better.
- Shawn Conner, Georgia Straight Newspaper
Discography
New Release album untitled (2008) LP
Myself & my Freedom- live sessions (2006) EP
Constant Replay (2004) EP
Arrived (2002) LP
Photos
Bio
Mani Khaira was born, raised, and classically trained in piano in Vancouver, Canada. Daily devotion and perseverance in his early teens led him to develop the polished sound of a professionally trained pianist and vocalist.
In April 2001, John Wozniak (singer/songwriter/producer of multi-platinum recording act Marcy Playground) signed on to produce Mani’s first full-length album. The album was recorded at Vancouver’s Mushroom Studios with a tribe of local hot musicians: guitarists Sean Ashby, Jerry Wong (Damn the Diva) and Johnny Savella (Kristy Thirsk), bassists Doug Elliott (The Odds), Bill Arab (Kristy Thirsk) and Tony Marriott (Jeff Buckley), drummer Jamie Kaufmann (Damn The Diva), and programmer/engineer Phil Western (David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails).
The result was Mani's powerful debut album entitled "Arrived" – touted as a sneak peek into Mani's personal journals. He has a natural talent and ability to evoke a wide range of emotions. His vocal is real and honest and draws the listener in; his lyrics range from fun and energetic (‘Arrived,’ ‘Camera’), to haunting and emotive (‘Sleepy Angel,’ ‘Wide Eyed’), to provocative (‘Paint,’ ‘Mary’).
In 2002, Mani opened for Columbia recording artist John Mayer for his sold out shows in Western Canada. Mani spent 2003 promoting “Arrived” and performing alongside artists such as Marcy Playground, Kristy Thirsk (Juno Award winning Rose Chronicles, Delerium), Adrienne Pierce, and Lou Rumour (The Rumours). He was also involved in various studio recording projects such as the Urhahn project featuring Kim Urhahn (Lillix) at Vancouver’s Hipposonic Studios.
In 2004 Mani recorded a 7-track EP with Phil Western returning as Producer. The Ep was titled 'Constant Replay'.
Mani moves to Toronto in 2005 to work at Steve's music store.
In 2006, Mani met Yohann Francois, talented producer, musician extrodinare. Mani and Yohann spent a year recording a full length album. They both traveled to Paris, France to record the finishing touches on his upcoming release.
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