SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE: This is musical mysticism that invites listeners to dance, clap, twirl, shout praise anything that involves a creative impulse. Call it trance. Call it spiritual. Call it otherworldly. The effect is the same: bringing listener and musician to a higher place than before.BIOHamsa Lila bridges continents, cultures, and genres with their Live Hypnotic World Groove, blending an eclectic variety of organic world instrumentation, female and male lead vocals, ethnic percussion, and a seriously groove-oriented rhythm section that moves body and spirit, maintaining a tribal sound while never missing a dance beat.Hitting ..2 on National and Canadian World Music charts in 2004 with their debut studio album Gathering One, this ensemble produces original material that defies classification, yet touches upon aspects of World Beat, Dub, Dance Club Electronica, House, Funk, Jungle, Afro-Beat, Jazz, Reggae, and Hip-Hop styles.The band plays a combination of rare traditional and modern instruments like the camel-skinned sintir - a type of Moroccan (Gnawa) bass guitar, a Berber goat skinned lute called a guimbri, a talking drum from Nigeria, kalimba (African thumb piano), drum kit with dub snare, keyboard and sampler (loops and nature sounds poignantly placed in the mix), an assortment of flutes, melodica, jaw harps, and much more. The vocalists create powerful harmonies, weave multiple melodies, as each of the lead singers (one male, two female) take turns leading songs. All of this gets laid over some heavy duty rhythmic and funky grooves.Working up from a spiritual root, Hamsa Lila maintains a deep intention and ceremony in their shows, which typically include dance ritual, altar creation, and lush cutting edge visuals, often transforming performing venues into sacred temple spaces.With the tasteful use of electronic effects, and the unique combination of sounds, textures and melodies, the band at once sounds familiar but totally fresh, ancient yet modern, mesmerizing yet actively engaging. Singing in 10 or more different languages, including English and Spanish, Hamsa Lila celebrates the cultures of the World, while paying homage to the ancestors and indigenous Earth tribes, with rich talent and unforgetable performances.HAMSA LILA is: Nikila - lead vox, dance, percussion. Deja - lead vox, percussion, dance. Inkx - drum kit, sampler. m.j.- lead vox, congas, kalimba, Yoruba talking drum, djembe, percussion. Evan - flutes, kalimba, melodica, keyboard, percussion, vox. Vir - sintir, bass, vox.Hamsa Lila has shared billing with Zap Mama, Femi Kuti, Janes Addiction, Ozomatli, Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9), String Cheese Incident (SCI), Michael Franti & Spearhead, Blackalicious, and many others. The band has also been the only live act at electronic events with known DJs such as Garth, Karsh Kale, Cheb-i-Sabbah, Lorin (Bassnectar), Adham Shaikh, Brother, and many more. Members of Hamsa Lila have played with such notable artists such as: Sting, Paul Simon, Tananas (Inkx); Ozomatli, Michael Frant & Spearhead, Hassan Hakmoun, Delta Nove, SCI, STS9 (m.j.); Steve Kimmock, Foxgluv, SCI, YOU, Compost (Vir), and many others.
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