This is my CD Parallel Universe, featuring atmospheric pop songs with world music instrumentation, Lithuanian background vocals, and spiritual lyrics. Enjoy!

Parallel Universe

A cosmic electronic groove with belly dance percussion leads to a 60's influenced pre-chorus, before exploding into a multi-vocaled lush chorus. The bridge breaks down before going out with a full throttle double chorus and ending cosmic tag. It's about quickening your vibration to bring about a parallel universe that you prefer.

This is a song about actualizing your heart and soul's desire. It is an exotic bellydance-type song, that opens with sustained violin & cello under a quiet female vocal. The verse builds with exotic hand percussion to a rousing chorus, and then a virtuosic gypsy violin solo. After a vocal/percussion breakdown, the song ends with climactic end choruses.

Sweetest Fruit

This is a celebratory love song with an escalating melody. It has a slight Americana feel, but more exotic. Violin lines soar over a straight-ahead drum beat with frame drum and sitar accents, leading to my solo vocal accompanied by dreamy background vocals. The verse builds to a super high climax in the chorus, and the instrumental middle section ends with a descending violin line before the final double chorus.

Sky High

Fiery guitar riffs, driving ethnic percussion, and wild indigenous flute accompany my vocals that feature exotic harmonies on the chorus. The phoenix represents death and rebirth, and I wrote this song about the power of reinventing yourself, bursting out of your Dark Night of the Soul.

Phoenix

I wrote this slow song when I was grieving the passing of a loved one. It begins with quartal harmony vocals a la the prog rock songs of Julie Tippetts. This leads into a quiet verse that lifts up to the chorus. The bridge builds to a dramatic choral crescendo in Lithuanian, ending with solo flute.

Everything

This song is about going through a lot of personal growth to finally meet your soulmate. It begins with my quiet intimate vocals that give way to an exotic, epic groove with a powerful bridge.

Now I'm Here

This song is about aligning with your Highest Self. It opens with a dulcimer motif, giving an exotic Early Music feel, then leads to lush counterpoint vocal harmonies in the chorus. The 2nd verse features a droning harmony vocal. The song builds to a final majestic violin, dulcimer and choral climax.

My King

An exotic electric guitar riff opens to a quiet female vocal over brushed snare, gradually building to a sensual chorus, lush with harmonies. The lyrics speak to our life being the dream, and our dreams being our soul's true reality. The bridge of the song is a Lithuanian folkloric section with dulcimer, leading to a soaring guitar solo before the final choruses.

In My Dreams

This is an uplifting, chill groovy jam song that features soaring fluttery flute lines, flamenco-flavored guitar, and ethereal vocals. During the instrumentals the flute trades improvisational lines with my high harmonic occipital vocals a la Minnie Ripperton.

Rise

The track begins with an echoing child's song from my youth - it's a well-known song but I'm singing it in Lithuanian. The lyrics tell of naive trust in authority ending in disillusionment. It's basically a loss of innocence and coming of age. The track features breathy female vocals over crystalline guitar riffs. The bridge is a breakdown into a megaphone-effect vocal. The song ends with soaring guitar, and a feeling of strength & personal power.

Fateful Day

I wrote this contemplative prayer song as a spiritual practice, helping me focus on being my best self, practicing blessing, gratitude, and forgiveness. It features the violin and cello, giving it a string quartet feel, over an ethnic groove provided by udu drum. The verses are punctuated with Enya-like choral vocals in my native Lithuanian language.

Evening Prayer

Chicago-born Nijole (Neola) Sparkis blends the sounds of the Lithuanian choirs and pop influences she grew up with, creating her own dreamy sensual global sound. Acting and singing thru childhood, she received a Music degree from De Paul University and toured the Midwest before moving to L.A., where she taught singing at her own studio, and for Disney TV and the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. Performing in rock clubs and festivals while still acting in performance art shows and college films, Nijole developed a unique style of writing, emphasizing the art of music rather than the formula. She sang the theme song for the “Timothy Leary's Dead” DVD, her video was featured on Comcast's Harmony Channel, and her songs have been  played regularly on L.A.’s #1 Rock radio station by legendary DJ Jim Ladd.  Nijole co-wrote and sang 3 tracks on the beautiful art DVD "Ritual Path", which also featured Jon Anderson -- lead singer of rock super-group "Yes".  That work resulted in her lush choral harmonies being prominently featured on another album collaboration with Anderson.  A member of the Positive Music Association, Nijole has served as Community Communications Catalyst for non-profit c3: Center for Conscious Creativity. Nijole earned a license as Spiritual Practitioner / Counselor for Michael Bernard Beckwith's Agape International Spiritual Center and the Centers for Spiritual Living, and also is a certified Spiritual Coach. She and her hubby Fritz Heede have also produced numerous videos and documentary works.

Parallel Universe

Nijole Sparkis