Manisha Shahane to appear in 'Bridging Hemispheres'
Wednesday, 01.21.2009, 12:25am (GMT-7)

LOS ANGELES: Singer, songwriter and pianist Manisha Shahane will be "Bridging Hemispheres" on Sunday, February 8 at 7 pm at The Coffee Gallery Backstage. Joined by her band and special guests, this family-friendly show will also feature the debut of her alter ego against a backdrop of original songs rooted in folk, jazz, and Indian traditions.

With a background in economics and foreign affairs, Manisha Shahane believed that she was destined to help people in developing countries such as India, where her parents were born. Yet, as passionate as she was about sustainable development, she could not seem to silence another voice within her.

She recognized that she was ignoring the one person she could help the most - the one who looked at her in the mirror every morning. She set out to bridge the hemispheres within her - to create that sense of community within. Shahane traces this desire to her youth.

"In my teens, I performed either with the school choir or at Indian community gatherings in southern Virginia, where I was raised. Back then, there were two different worlds in which I lived. These days I'm bringing them together through my music," she says.

Her vision of bridging hemispheres is both internal and external, as reflected by her first album titled Peace in Progress. Throughout her life, Shahane has connected people from different walks of life. She lives at the intersection of numerous paths of work and study.

At her core, she experiences a longing for community and has worked to find or create a sense of community in every place she has lived. Accordingly, she feels that her presentations are akin to a collage that represents these communities.

She adds, "What is exotic to you may feel like home to me. When people hear something that is exotic to them in a familiar context or setting, then they are more likely to embrace it and the culture from which it comes." Bridging Hemispheres marks her first appearance at The Coffee Gallery Backstage and the first-ever appearance of her alter ego.

Her band features Mark San Filippo (drums) and Geoff Rakness (upright bass). Joining the band for the first time will be Dawn Norfleet (flute/vocals). Shahane sings and accompanies herself on piano and guitar.