Elika Mahony
Vocalist, composer, pianist, and artist, Elika considers herself a world citizen; her parents are from Iran, she was born in the US, raised in Kenya, and now lives in China. Elika's love of music began when she was a child growing up in Africa. In between she has lived in Israel and Hong Kong. Her music beautifully expresses the diverse cultures that have been a part of her upbringing, blending and reflecting the influences of this varied background, drawing upon classical Western structures but incorporating instrumentation and styles from Iran to Ireland and China to Spain.
Elika studied classical piano from the age of five, and its influence can be heard in the stunning instrumental pieces that she began composing when she was in college. It was at the same time that Elika began singing and setting the Baha'i Writings to music. The enchanting “Melodies of the Nightingale”was the end result by Elika and two close friends, Michelle Brown and Fiona Doomun-Rouhani. This debut CD and launch into a professional music career was followed a few years later by a solo follow up titled“Melodies of the Nightingale for the Family”produced by Paul Meredith. These two CDs have been sold in more than 25 countries and their stirring melodies and soaring harmonies have inspired people all over the world.
Currently Elika has completed a third CD with producer Jarome Matthew, called “Fire and Gold”, which blends eastern and western musical styles and features a number of languages including English, Spanish, Arabic and Chinese. Elika's music is inspired by the lyrics of the poetic and profound treasures of the Baha’i writings that cover deep subjects such as life, love, family, difficulties, the soul, afterlife, spirituality, and the progress of humanity. Accomplishing the near impossible, Elika takes these deep and complex subjects and creates music that is sophisticated and yet breathes with simple, heart-warming melodies and soaring harmonies that swell over the lyrics in elegant, diverse waves lifting the listener to ever higher realms.
Elika is an artist as well as a musician. She loves to design and create beautiful things that bring joy to people and enhance their spiritual experience. Her current projects include making prayer beads from Chinese water pearls with matching Chinese clasps, silk (prayer) book covers and hand made specialty cards using exquisite Japanese paper and quotations from the Writings of Baha'u'llah. You can experience these out under “Beautiful Items”on her website.
Elika's greatest hope is that her music and art will bring joy and upliftment to people around the world.