Gaia Roots has been traveling, studying, and performing together for eight years. In their travels, they have collected a sizable repertoire of songs, dances, stories and traditional instruments from master musicians, teachers and carvers from around the world. Each member plays many styles of instruments. From West Africa they incorporate the Djembe, Djun-Djun, Balafon and Krin. From Cuba you will hear the Congas, Clave, Shekere, Guirro, Ashieko, Bongos, Maraca and Kata. American as well as Jamaican influences include Bass and Acoustic Guitar and the Kete Drum. From Brazil, the sounds of the Berimbau; a traditional instrument with roots in Angola, Africa. You will also hear songs and instrumentation from Europe, Native America, Israel, Macedonia, South Africa, India, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Jamaica and Haiti.
Co-founder Aimee Gelinas has rich influences in Afro-Cuban
percussion and song having studied with masters of percussion, song and
dance there on three different occasions in Havana and Matanzas as well
as with local master drummer Joe Platz. She led the group to study there
in 1999 and 2000. Currently, Aimee
sings and writes in a rock group called Sifer. www.sifer.net She also
instructs drumming to children and adults in the Berkshires.
Co-founder Shanti Stark has powerful roots in West African
drumming. She has toured and lived in West Africa (Guinea, Gambia, and
Senegal) performing and studying with master drummers and singers from
those regions for the past 7 years. She has toured
in West Africa with A.Rahmen Sound System of Gambia
and Fulaband, featuring traditional Fulani music from Senegal . In Massachusetts, she is founder and lead vocalist of world music group Mafanti. www.mafanti.com She currently sells African instruments,
clothing ,and jewelery from her shop Tabala. www.shanticreations.com
Percussionist Lisa Newell has been travelling and performing since 1993 with various West African drum and dance troupes including Timeship Earth, Saramacor, Kumbemba. She travels often to Goree Island, Senegal (West Africa) to study with master Karamo Cissokho and the Cissokho family. Currently, Lisa drums for community West African dance classes and performs abroad.
Dancer and percussionist Patti Brinster has been inspired
by dance and music from early on having studied many forms including Modern,
Jazz, Ballet and Appalachian style dance. For the past 12 years, she has
been studying the traditions of West Africa and Caribbean dance and drumming
with local masters Sekou Sylla and Joe Platz as well as Mohamed Camara,
Oshun Kemi and Abdoulaye Sylla. She performed and choreographed with the
Ino Washington West African Ensemble and danced with The Power of The
Drum Troupe.
Gaia Roots has performed in festivals with over 80,000 in attendance, school assemblies, art centers, political and social rallies and events, cafes and on the radio (WMUA). They have been recipients of local cultural council grants since 1997 and are currently recording at Northfire Recording Studio in Amherst, MA. www.northfirerecording.com
Through song, rhythm, dance and story the women of Gaia Roots weave together traditions from around the world and they continue to pass on these traditions and create unity through music.