Over the last year Erika has been swept into the wondrous and mystical world of Rumi. Although long time fan of Rumi's poetry, it was a synchronous encounter with Kabir Helminski (author, translator and representative of Rumi's Mevlevli order) and Lisa Ferraro at a conference last November that opened the door to a remarkable possibility. Within fifteen minutes of meeting, the three wrote their first song based on Rumi's poetry. Two weekends in California extended that first song into a collection of eleven, and once the songs were completed, an initial recording session on the West Coast was ferried to Istanbul where collaborations with local musicians stirred in the ancient sounds of Rumi's world. The trio behind the Rumi project is called Ruby and their first album is titled "On The Way of Love." Pre-release copies are available now. You can hear a song and order your copy!
Returning home from adventures overseas, Erika embarks into the heartland with upcoming shows in Missouri, Iowa and Colorado. The Circle of Love and a mini tour with Natalia Zukerman are right around the corner. To read Erika's personal reflections on her trip to Turkey and the historic presidential election go to her Journal page.
The adventure continues! After laying down basic tracks in California, Erika departs for Turkey with Sheik Kabir and Camille Helminski, Lisa Ferraro and a handful of other dervishes. Tentatively titled "On The Way of Love," this recording features eleven songs inspired by the poetry of 13th century mystic poet, Jalal ad-Din Rumi. While in Istanbul they will collaborate with local musicians and weave in some Turkish essence into the world inspired music.
Keep your ears open for sonic updates...
The new album "Sacred" is here and available online! Recorded with vocalist, Lisa Ferraro, this collection of music was designed to spiral listeners into their sacred core. Contemplative in nature while still keeping musical depth and integrity, "Sacred" is a balm for the soul. You can hear samples of the tracks directly from the CDBaby website. Take a listen and enjoy!
After two extraordinary weeks at Asilomar where Erika performed as part of the powerful and talented music team at both the UCSL and ICSL conferences, she left steeped in beauty, inspiration and connection. Flying from the nourishing conferences and rugged California coast directly to a ten day silent meditation retreat at the exquisite Vallecitos Retreat Center, she dove head first into quiet contemplation.
Stay tuned for the latest album, "Sacred," (recorded with Lisa Ferraro) which made its debut appearance at Asilomar and will soon be available online. More details and early reviews ahead.
In the spirit of nourishing body and spirit to bring forth the highest caliber music, Erika will be running the Albuquerque Chips and Salsa Half Marathon on September 7. Join her for the adventure!
On the tour front, she leaves for Turkey in October to collaborate with Turkish artists on the upcoming album that includes 11 songs inspired by the poetry of Rumi. She will be travelling with Lisa Ferraro and Sheikh Kabir Helminski into the heart of the land that inspired much of Rumi's expression. The anticipated Italian Tour, however, has been postponed until next Spring.
Before leaving the US, though, she's excited to make a quick return to Texas where she will perform a very special concert on Sept. 20 with her dear friend, Natalia Zukerman, whose talents have been described as "a voice that can coax orchids into bloom and a guitar that can open beer bottles with its teeth." It's going to be an exquisite evening. Look for more dates on the Events page.