Shaheen Sheik

Background

She grew up in Cleveland and Los Angeles, but traces her roots to Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India. Shaheen Sheik was born in Cleveland, Ohio to Iqbal Sheik, a psychiatrist, and Sharfudheen Sheik, a mechanical engineer

Education

As a child, Sheik was a studied classical dancer and later in life began studying vocal, guitar and sarod. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley and then studied law at the University of Virginia School of Law.

Career

Her musical work spans several genres, including rock/popular, electronic and chill-out music She also has an older brother, Zafar Sheik, a physician in Warren, Ohio. When she was a teenager, Sheik’s family moved to Orange County, California.

In 2000, after graduating from law school, Sheik worked full-time on her musical career.

She credits her learning to become a singer and performer with a weekly residency at San Francisco’s Lush Lounge. Soon after, Sheik moved to Los Angeles and began making the open mic circuit with contemporaries, Catherine Feeny, Alexi Murdoch and Joe Purdy.

In 2003, Sheik released her first album, Live from Santosha, in 2003, featuring performances from her live shows at Los Angeles’ Genghis Cohen. Later that same year, Sheik released her first studio European Parliament, “In Your Love.”

Her first full-length album, Rock Candy, was released in May 2005 and later picked up by Times Music India.

During a tour in Mumbai, Sheik was recognized as being "compared to Sheryl Crow and Shawn Colvin" by Express India.

In 2008, Sheik released her sophomore album Revolution, a world electronic album and departure from the guitar driven Rock Candy. When discussing Revolution, Sheik has stated that being a trained dancer taught her the connection between rhythm and emotion and that her second album focused on that connection. After releasing Revolution, Shaheen met Swedish producer, SoulAvenue, on MySpace.

In 2008, SoulAvenue remixed Wildflower World (Wild Orchid Mix), which was included on Chillbar: Volume

1.

Sheik is a classically trained Bharatanatyam dancer and studies under Malathi Iyengar, artistic director of Rangoli Company. The Los Angeles Times described Sheik’s portrayal of Krishna in "Kodhai"s Dream" as "commanding" and her duet with fellow company dancer, Lakshmi Iyengar, as "a breathtaking finale."

“Wildflower World (Wild Orchid Mix)” - Chillbar Volume 1 (2008).

Achievements

• In 2005, 2006, and 2008, Sheik received Lestor Horton Award nominations for her performances in "Ragamalika Varnam," "Kodhai"s Dream", and Jatiswaram ("Kodhai’s Dream").