Shadi Kassis, a Syrian musician, drummer & percussionist, music member @Blank_Pages (World music) @Crooving_Fusion (Fusion jazz) @Patch_Work_City_Orchestra (Choir) @Duo_Bihevra (Oriental music & Sufi music) @Avalansa_Musikale (World music)

Indie-synth artist Ila Minori’s musical journey is one inspired by rising to meet challenges head on and the rewards of self-exploration and growth. That journey has taken her from the clubs of her hometown of San Antonio to touring the US and Europe as well as sharing the stage with the likes of Thurston Moore, Lucinda Williams and Suzanne Vega. 

Her first album, 2017’s Jason Rubal-produced (Amanda Palmer, Lol Tolhurst of The Cure) Travelling With Ghosts was written during a trip to Italy while healing from a painful divorce. The Mazzy Star-meets-Metric sound grabbed attention locally and beyond due to countless live shows that included performances at SATX’s famed Tobin Center For The Performing Arts, a tour in Germany and the Italian Festival, Buscadero Day. For her forthcoming album, Ila Minori (also known as Erica Monzon), planned to record in Boston before Covid 19 brought the music industry to a near halt. Instead of coming to a stop herself, she decided to throw herself into learning more about electronic music production, including an online course via Berklee College of Music. The results have shifted her from a more traditional indie rock sound to a more electronic hybrid one. 

Despite the darkwave vibe of much of her music, Minori has always chosen to look for the light in the darkness, whether it’s using a painful life experience as an opportunity for artistic growth abroad or quickly pivoting from a steady diet of live performances to diving headfirst into learning  and experimenting with new sounds. “If it wasn’t for the pandemic, I would have focused on live music,” Minori says. “But I have always wanted to produce and the lack of live shows honestly hasn’t bothered me. I love music so much that if I can produce it at home, I am just as happy as playing live.”

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