Donna De Lory

Donna De Lory has always followed her own fearless instincts as a singer and songwriter. The vivacious brunette with a mighty voice and mainstream chops as Madonna’s sassy, longtime tour sidekick had the pedigree to follow a commercial pop route, but preferred a far more personal, alternate route as a solo artist.

A devoted student of yoga and spiritual teachings, De Lory’s lushly conceived solo albums, like her 2009 ecstatic groove Sanctuary, are not only inspired by Western pop, but Indian devotional music, Sanskrit mantras, Northern African grooves, psychedelic arrangements, and dance beats. Donna blends her rich spiritual practice, sonic collages and surprising musical inspirations into a sumptuous, world music-meets-kirtan style that musician and Jivamukti Yoga founder Sharon Gannon dubbed “the perfect combination of earth Mama and fairy child, with a voice that oscillates between the passionate laments of Janis Joplin and the crystal clarity of Enya.”

With Sanctuary, her most recent solo album, De Lory has crafted an expressive, spiritual journey that embraces her passionate exploration of yoga and meditative music, inspired by the transcendent, sophisticated lead of artists like Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush and George Harrison. Her trusted longtime collaborators include cellist Cameron Stone, drummer and percussionist Dave Allen, guitarist Jerry Leonard and bassists Mark Browne and Mark Gorman, plus guests James Harrah (Madonna, Aretha Franklin), Brazil’s Heitor Piera and Kirtan master Dave Stringer. As she had done with her 2006 album Sky is Open, De Lory sought out acclaimed producer/engineer Kevin Killen (Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Elvis Costello) to mix Sanctuary.

The healing, graceful Sanctuary is a joyful, mellifluous confluence of De Lory’s many creative – and philosophical - tangents.

“Playing music is my yoga,” says De Lory. “It’s my bliss. When I play, I get lost in the music, my mind stops, I am in the moment and I am free. This is a place I never want to leave."