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Instrumentation
Ekayani- vocals, lyrics & bandleader.
Jerome-Covington, guitar
Rohin Khemani-drums percussion
Matt Aronoff- bass
Biography
ODE to DURGA's UNDERSTUDY:
From her rather shy demeanor you might never have guessed that Ekayani is actually something of a superhero, sometimes even to her own amazement. Let me recall one particular adventure for you.
Years ago , back in the winter of 1999, Ekayani stopped by the Kruth family estate in the splendiforous suburbs of New Jersey to pay a visit to my old, ailing mother. As it was the maids day off I was in the kitchen heating up some leftover red beans and rice , while my mom dozed in her favorite chair, in front of the television set. Meanwhike, Ekayani sat on the living room sofa, looking radiant in white. My brother Steven was their too, talking with her. They were really hitting it off, getting kind of flirty. I started becoming jealous--annoyed that she liked my brother so much. She was laughing loudly at his jokes. You know that laugh of hers. Then Steven started to sell her some jewelry.
She sat close to him trying on all kinds of sparkly bracelets. The phone rang. It was for him, so he excused himself and went into the other room to take the call. Then I returned to the kitchen to check on the beans and rice that had started to burn.
As usual Steven's array of gadgetry was spread out of all over the coffee table beside the couch. Ekayani picked up the cell phone and his pistol and walked out on the veranda and closed door. She began having a heated conversation in French with somebody on the cell phone and started punctuating her words by firing the pistol in the air. Little did she realize that our neighbors private helicopter was trying to take off at that very moment and she was firing directly at them! Suddenly they fired shots back at her. She began to realize what was happening and returned the volley, bring the chopper down through the towering maple trees, into our backyard. The neighbors, as we had always suspected, were drug smugglers, and the cops soon showed up to arrest them and congratulate Ekayani. As far as I know that was just a typical day for her!
Recently Ekayani called to ask if I would scribe the liner notes for long awaited new album. "Of course!" I told her. So I scrounged up some coloured chalk from the bottom drawer of my desk to scribble a few words on the slabs of our fair city's sidewalk, which I would then snap a picture of with my digital camera as I precariously hung out my apartment window by one hand. Then brimming with pride, I'd email the finished piece to Ek and pour myself an ice cold miller.
But each time I'd turn my back to go inside some careless pedestrian would saunter across my delicate strophes, smearing a letter here or a word there. I wound up standing out there for nearly an hour yelling at those stupid clods to watch out where they stepped, when suddenly it began to rain! It seemed certain that the rain would wash away my ode to Ekayani, and a moment later my lightning fast inspiration would be lost forever. Then she suddenly appeared, swooping down out of nowhere, radiant in a yellow raincoat, to read those illuminated verses over my shoulder.
Although the rain would wash it all away as quickly as I could write, Ekayani, aspiring superhero that she is, remembered the whole thing perfectly, word for word. So the next time you see here, just ask her to recite the wonderful poem I wrote to commemorate this album. It was totally brilliant. Really!
-John Kruth
New York City
Spring 2004
A FULL LENGTH MUSICIAN! At fifty- two minutes in duration and 13 tracks long, Ekayani and the Healing Band's new CD lives up to it's name, FULL LENGTH. But the album is also a confident statement of full on artistic maturityand personal identity. At an imposing six feet one inch tall, Ekayani is certainly a full length woman, willing and able to articulate a grown woman's triumphs, fears, and desires. And her record, the result of ten years of apprenticeship and rigourous effort on two continents (France & USA) , shows the full value of her encounter with themes and styles that make up it's groundbreaking music. Her artistry is full length as well!
Conceived in France, where she met innovative musical partner Paul Mahoux, and brought to term in the United States, where Ekayani continues to push her musical boundaries in New York and Miami, FULL LENGTH is a major statement of artistic coming of age by a musician unafraid to go all- in by blending genres, styles, ideas, and emotions.
The songs of FULL LENGTH express a wholly realized woman's strengths and doubts, her intellect and herspirituality, her reflections on love and the absence of love, her hopes for her own happiness and the well being of all the people who hear her. They range in format from alternative/fusion to jazz spoken word, articulated through either totally original speaking, sining, or chanting styles.
The studio Collection EP was a downtown NYC hit, cracking the Top 40 at The Liquid Sound Lounge, and her commanding prescence ( she retains the style and beauty of her time as a Parisian model) has made the bands live shows memorable events. Ekayani is currently supporting the record from bases in New York and Miami, doing radio dates and showcase appearances at Manhattan's Howl! Festival, The Knitting Factory, and Miami's JAZID. The healing continues!
Discography
Ekayani and the Healing Band- FULL LENGTH- March 11,2005 on the Ekayani's own Indie label Damn'It! Records.
MORE MP3's: Available under MUSIC at EKAYANI.COM
DIGITALLY AVAILABLE: iTunes, CalabashMusic.com, plus more soon...
RADIO play:NPR's All Songs Considred, WBAI-FM, NYC, WFLO Washington DC, podcasts out of NYC and Monterey, Ca.
"La Raihna" has gotten airplay and streams on WBAI-FM NYC 99.5 and www.wflo.fm
Une Fille Qui Parle de Ses Desires and Like Fire has recieved airplay on WBAI's The Liquid Sound Lounge with Jeannie Hopper
"Une Fille Qui Parle de ses Desires" has recieved play on National Public Radio's Open Mic Stage 81 (internet)
Blue and Gold and Saint Jerome have been podcast on Sunday Go to Meetin" ( Out of Montery, Ca)
Saint Jerome has been played on
http://www.Radio Crystal Blue.com hosted by Dan Herman, NYC
La Raihna, Comfort, Bells, and Ophelia Drowns received airplay on WBAI -FM 99.5 NYC "The Light Show" with host Evan Ginzburg