Bindi Society is comprised of three talented musicians based in the San Francisco Bay Area. At the core of the music is the beauty of the harp, and the unique, guitar-like writings of harpist Barbara Imhoff. Irish vocalist Cait McWhir elevates the arrangements with her haunting interpretations of Indian chants, and English songs with a Celtic touch. Peter Whitehead, talented multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, integrates dumbek, frame drum, rebab and fujara into the mix. This beautiful tapestry of sounds is infused with depth, spiritual mystery and beauty. The sound is reminiscent of Imhoff's Beasts of Paradise and Ring, and Haunted by Waters, McWhir's original collaboration.
Barbara Imhoff:
Barbara is a harpist, composer, and harp teacher. Barbara graduated in harp and piano from UC Santa Barbara, then was asked to join the faculty as a harp instructor. While in Santa Barbara, she performed and toured internationally with avant garde composers Daniel Lentz, Harold Budd, Lou Harrison, as well as David Ossman of the Fire Sign Theater. She has played regularly with Oakland Symphony, Ballet and Opera and Berkeley Symphony. She has collaborated extensively with singer Pamela Z, performed with George Coates Performance Works, and has recorded with numerous artists such as Todd Rundgren, Toni Childs, Ronnie Montrose, and her own bands, Beasts of Paradise (with Stephen Kent), Ring, and Aether.
Cait McWhir:
Born and raised in Northern Ireland, Cait's soulful vocals have migrated far beyond her Celtic roots. With over 20 years of performing & recording World Music, she has explored vocal styles from all around the world. A deep love of the sound of ancient languages led her to Sanskrit chant, ancient Gaelic, Hebrew, and even to the development of songs in her own language. Her work in the Bindi's is a reflection of this journey and much of it is derived from ancient Indian chants & Bhajans. She also plays the Harmonium, an instrument which is often played in India to accompany call and response singing of devotional chants (kirtan) and folk songs.
Peter Whitehead:
Peter Whitehead is a composer, performer, songwriter, instrument builder and multi-instrumentalist who works with both acoustic and electronics sounds. The instruments he builds are often based on folk instruments from around the world. He creates scores for film and dance, and his recorded music appears on six solo CDs. Most recently he composed music for a solo by Mikhail Baryshnikov, "For You", choreographed by Susan Marshall and performed at the Baryshnikov Arts Center NY.
