about the music

Minga's estimable skills as a vocalist, songwriter, and producer have garnered interest from other notable talents near and far. In addition to her collaborative gestalt with George Winston producer Danny de la Isla ("Flipside"), Gold Record recipient Calvin Baugh ("Be Thankful"), and AbombDLC ("Easy For You"), Minga's songs showcase San Francisco native Robert Westlind (guitar/bass), San Diego's Ross Rizzo (saxophone), New Yorker Anilh Rameshwar (trumpet), Italy's soul sensation Fabio Toriano (keyboards), and Texas-born-and-bred Jerry Gallardo (drums). Special guests in the recording studio have included Dave Montgomery (saxophone), Meagan Phillips (clarinet), and San Diego Music Award winner Alfred Howard (spoken word).

"I have a lot of fun in the studio," says Minga. "It's dark, lush and loose - like an underground New York City club, with interesting people rolling in and out. What started out as a group of strangers in that scene has become crew, and the connection between the people, the ambience and the music is amazing. I think that ambience - that connection - comes through on these recordings. I hope everyone feels it when they listen to my music."


Minga - Vocals, Keyboards, Guitar, Bass & Beats

Dan de la Isla - Keyboards & Beats

ABombDLC - Keyboards & Beats

Fabio Toriano - Keyboards

Robert Westlind - Guitar & Bass

Jerry Gallardo - Drums & Percussion

Ross Rizzo - Saxophone & Flute

Dave Montgomery - Saxophone

Anilh Rameshwar - Trumpet

Meagan Phillips - Clarinet

Miss Kat - Back-up Vocals

Slim, Alfred Howard & Calvin Baugh - Spoken Word



minga

The initial connection is telling - a sensation so honest and genuine that it doesn't need tampering. You let it work you, slowly and surely. Parts of you warm and tingle. There's intensity, and amplification, and crescendo. Then the feeling fades. And you want to experience it all over again. That's when you hit "rewind." That's when you press the "back" button. That's how you connect and reconnect with Minga - her voice, her vibe, and her music. Minga is one of those rare artists with instant connectivity, a person who can break it down in da club, in the lounge, and in talking about music - when she hits "play" with charismatic candor. Asked about the creative process behind her sultry brand of neo-soul, she says: "Making music isn't as much a thing I do as it is a part of who I am - those deep down emotions which express themselves in beats and melodies... Like breathing, like sex - it's an instinct."

That instinct was first steeped in a heady blend of influences during Minga's childhood. Her mother, a Polish emigre brought to the US at age 11 because of her remarkable singing voice, and Minga's father, an American entrepreneur with a penchant for vintage vinyl, sparked what would become a love affair with jazz, pop and soul. "My mom was always singing, and my dad had an extensive collection of LPs, 78's and singles," recalls Minga. "A lot of truly great, truly timeless music was heard at my house – Miles, Coltrane, Nancy Wilson, Nina Simone, Anita O'Day... Sarah Vaughn and Shirley Horn were my favorites." Minga's atmospheric, autre garde artistry sensually wraps itself around such legacy, unveiling a sexy liaison between the tried-and-true and the very new. "I love old-school jazz and I love contemporary R&B, hip hop, and downtempo," she says. "And, basically, I'm an absorber of urban ambiance - like the vibe in a lounge or nightclub, scents from a coffee house, the body language of lovers in a restaurant, or a bass line coming from someone else's car stereo. Little moments like those are my biggest inspiration."