Mia Doi Todd

Chosen by the New York Times as one of the Top Ten Records of 2011, prolific singer-songwriter Mia Doi Todd’s latest album, Cosmic Ocean Ship (City Zen Records), is her most beautiful and optimistic work to date. Recorded and produced by Jonathan Wilson in Los Angeles using analog 2 inch tape, the album has a warmth and depth that showcases Mia's powerful, unique, and at times delicate voice. Inspired by interstellar journeys, reflective encounters with friends, and explorations of forest, beach, jungle, desert, and city in Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, France, and India, Mia searched deep within to communicate a new perspective for Cosmic Ocean Ship - one that transports the listener into the ecstatic radiance of intimate Love, and one that is yearning with an overall positive vision for the future of Planet Earth and the human experience.

The whole record was tracked in just over 4 days, with Gabe Noel on bass, Andres Renteria on percussion, Adam MacDougall on keys and Jonathan Wilson both engineering and rotating on various instruments. Most of the songs were recorded live with the band all playing together and Mia playing and singing in the same room. Listening to Cosmic Ocean Ship, one hears the sweet nuanced relationship between the room, the tubes, the weathered circuitry, and the collective energy in the sessions. There's a real magic captured on tape here.

In addition to the original compositions that make up the majority of Cosmic Ocean Ship, Mia covers "Gracias a la Vida" written by Chilean Folk artist Violeta Parra in 1966, and "Canto de Iemanjá," the Afro Samba tribute to the great Orisha of the Ocean, by Baden Powell and Vinícius de Moraes. Mia produced an extraordinary music video for "Canto de Iemanjá," that pays homage to the rituals that take place in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil at the Praia de Iemanjá every year on February 2nd, her special saint’s day. Video above.

Michel Gondry also directed an amazing music video for Mia’s song “Open Your Heart,” creating a human color wheel.

In the summer of 2011, Mia had the great honor of opening for Stevie Wonder at the Hollywood Bowl as part of KRCW’s Global Soul tribute produced by Ricky Minor. Mia has toured in the US and Europe. In 2009, she toured in Brazil for the first time, performing in Sao Paulo and at the legendary Circo Voador in Rio de Janeiro. Recently, Mia has been working on a Brazilian song cycle. She had two songs included in the new Red Hot + Rio 2 compilation, including a duet with Jose Gonzalez, “Um Girassol da Cor de Seu Cabelo.” Mia is currently expecting her first child and channeling her creative energies into writing music for a theater piece about the Orisha Iemanjá that will be premiered at the Electric Lodge in Venice, California in March 2012.

BELLS
Blending heavy percussion, soulful vocal harmonies, and thoughtful arrangements Bells has arrived at a sound that is uniquely theirs. Although they are a new group and still working on their first recordings, they are quickly drawing an audience with diverse musical tastes. Birthed from the imaginations of singer-percussionist Sandra Lawson-Ndu, and bassist-singer Doug Stuart. The songs are brought to life with the help of Derek Barber on guitar and vocals, and Geneva Harrison on drums, percussion, and vibes.