Sheba

She is a novelist, an accomplished performer that has written and starred in her own theatre productions and a radio play, and has been described by various media as "a powerful persona", "risqué" and "in your face". And now, Sheba cements her reputation as one of NZ's most exciting and original musicians with the release of her self-titled debut double-album.

'Sheba' is the culmination of years of multidisciplinary art, and features a deluxe, limited edition package, consisting of 'The Black Album' and 'The White Album', spanning the genres of funk, afrobeat, calypso, acoustic and electronica, to produce an eclectic sound, which she calls "Calyptro", fusing elements of her Caribbean heritage with her NZ upbringing.

'The Black Album' is a twelve-track studio album recorded at Trident Studios with engineer Mike Gibson and co-produced by Sheba, with emerging producer Skylab, apart from the song Integrity, which was recorded in Shanghai.

'The White Album' showcases Sheba's stunning flair for outrageous and energetic live performance, and is a recording of a concert Sheba performed at The Wellington Botanical Gardens' Soundshell in January 2008 with her band The Afrobombastic Orchestra, and her dancers The Nefertitis. 'The White Album' also contains three music videos - two of which Sheba produced - and an excerpt from her book: Shanghai Sheba & The China Monologues, which she read earlier this year on RNZ National, to an listenership of more than 220,000 people.

Sheba has developed a loyal fanbase internationally through over a decade of performing, in cities like Berlin, Turkey, Shanghai, Kyoto, Rome and New York. In NZ she is known from her residencies in Auckland and Wellington, as well as her involvement as an original founder of Sugarlicks performance night at Khuja Lounge (AK) and founding the Jazz on a Sunday series with Deva Mahal, in Welli.

Sheba's debut album is polished and dynamic - this truly unique artist is completely original, and the album appeals to both electronic and soul audiences alike.