Music
Press
“captivating energy and Afrobeat music of Maya Soleil, blending traditional African rhythm and vocals with contemporary jazz and fusion”
December 1, 2004
http://portland.indymedia.org
- Portland Independent Media Center
"Maya Soleil, Seattle's acclaimed dance-music ensemble, offers up a celebratory Afro-World-Fuse-adelica dance party that melds Ghanaian highlife, Zambian Kalindula and lilting Shona mbira with contempo-jazz and funk."
December 1, 2004 - Willamette Week
“high-powered World music"
"a group who can get a crowd of people on their feet and stir them to a thriving emotion"
- Sounds of Seattle
“very capable company of Seattle-based musicians… “energetic Afro-fusion band” - Modern Drummer magazine
“absolutely fantastic, high energy performance!! Nobody wanted to leave...” - Salem World Beat Festival
"truly stunning multi-instrumentalist performers”
December 2000
- KAOS Radio DJ Scott Stevens
“This isn't like MTV. This is better than Britney Spears”
Young Fan at Endeavour Elementary, Issaquah, WA as reported in Issaquah Press
“I found the full length new version of "Maya Moleil" on mp3.com. For 2 days now, I listened to it almost a hundred times I guess... It's simply the best song I've ever heard in my whole life.”
Gregoire (a fan from France)
- A couple examples of fan reviews
Discography
Dance of the New Sun
Ulemu
African Traditions
Selected tracks have national and international radio airplay
Photos
Bio
Bringing pan-African styles together with jazzy dance music, Maya Soleil presents a high-energy show of original music and African costumed dance. Appealing to diverse audiences, performers from Zimbabwe, Ghana, Guinea, Jamaica, and the USA share their culture in interactive song and dance. Exotic African vocals are complemented by an international ensemble, with saxophone, flute, mbira (thumb piano), balafon (xylophone), guitar, keyboards, bass, ethnic percussion, and world drum kit.
Complete programs of acoustic, traditional styles, electric contempo-fusion, or both are available. Workshops in African Drum & Dance or Jazz Ensemble are also available. Presenters with multiple time slots have found it cost-effective to book multiple shows (acoustic traditional and electric fusion) and workshop.
Formed in 1997 from seasoned performers, the group has toured the western U.S., British Columbia, and Alaska, often performing to sold-out and near-capacity audiences along the way. Members of Maya Soleil have have enticed audiences throughout the world with their heart-felt performances, performing and recording with many of the greats in African music and dance, including Obo Addy (Ghana), Dumi Maraire (Zimbabwe), I.K. Dairo (Nigeria), Kanda Bongo Man (Congo), and the national dance companies of Ghana and Guinea.
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