ABOUT

"Brilla is an incredibly thoughtful, self-produced female artist on a mission to promote healing through music"

- Tia Julien, New Feeling

"an old soul who uses the art of self, soul, and spirit to create a path for the greater good."

- Pola Bunster, Prism Creative

Alysha Brilla is a 3X Juno Award nominated composer, audio engineer, artist and change maker weaving together global roots sounds into healing music; transporting listeners to her signature space nestled between the earth and the stars.

Official European Commission 2022 Keychange Artist, Brilla's unique gift of articulating where technology, music and mental health intersect has taken her around the world; as resident artist and guest lecturer in Schools and Universities internationally including the School of Audio Engineering in Australia, University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University.

The child of an Indo-Tanzanian musician and an Irish-Canadian storyteller, Brilla’s original music is a colourful tapestry of South Asian, Reggae and global roots fusion. Decolonial themes of re-connection with ourselves, each other and the earth are woven into uplifting rhythms and soulful melodies, which Brilla brings to festival stages worldwide.

Influenced by her father’s Indian and East African music and her mother’s Canadian folk heroes, Brilla's childhood was alive with the vibrations and teachings of Bob Marley, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Joni Mitchell and Ravi Shankar. In 2013, Brilla became one of the first self-produced female artists in history to receive a Juno Award nomination (Canada's Grammy Awards) for her debut album.

Touring the world performing live music and collaborating with communities, Alysha's musical mission unites cross-culturally by featuring a mosaic of genders and ancestral backgrounds on stage. Her distinct and powerful voice and musical tapestry have taken her across Australia, South America, Canada, Europe and Asia. Whether sharing intimate storytelling sets of music or headlining festival stages of tens of thousands with her all-star band, by the end of the show, Brilla always has the audience singing along and leaving with a positive feeling in their heart.

Recently, Brilla teamed up with 3X Grammy Award Winner Emily Lazar to master her single "Love". During the height of the pandemic, Alysha partnered with fellow Independent Canadian Singer-Songwriter Desirée Dawson to offer virtual sound healing and movement sessions. These offerings were attended by many hearts hungry for connection and community. Brilla continues to offer music as a healer workshops alongside her live performances.

Alysha Brilla's newest album, "Circle" released this year and was featured on seven Spotify editorial playlists. "Circle" is an album ripe with messages of personal and global healing and music to uplift the soul.

Listen to Circle Here.

Awards & Nominations:

- 2022 European Commission Keychange Artist representing Canada

- 2021 “Best Local Artist/Band” Best of Waterloo Region Awards

- 2020 Waterloo Region Arts Award General Arts

- 2018 Independent Music Awards Producer of The Year, Pop category
- 2018 Juno Music Award Nominee Adult Contemporary Album of The Year, “Rooted”
- 2016 “Best local artist/band” Best of Waterloo Region

- 2015 “Women of The Year; 30 Canadians who rocked 2015”, Chatelaine Magazine

- 2015 Juno Music Award Nominee Adult Contemporary Album of The Year, “Womyn”

- 2015 International Songwriting Contest Lyrical Finalist “Immigrant”

- 2014 CBC Music Awards Rising Star Shortlisted

- 2014 Winner Oktoberfest Woman Of The Year Award Arts and Culture

- 2014 Juno Music Award Nominee Adult Contemporary Album, “In My Head”

Panels & Speaking:

-2022 Folk Alliance International “Healing Through The Power of Sound”

-2022 Femme Folk Festival Keynote Music Technology X Spirituality, Kitchener

-2022 Breakout West Healing Through Sound, Calgary
-2022 M for Montreal Panel, Independent Artist Distribution Tips

-2021 Guelph Black Heritage Anti-Racism Summit “Queer BIPOC Representation in the Arts”

-2021 Wilfrid Laurier University “Women, Art and Activism”

-2021 Northern Power Summit “Music Gone Global”

-2021 Folk Music Ontario “BIPOC Artists and Music Festival Bookings”

-2021 Multicultural Artist Panel, Good Co Productions Kitchener

-2021 London City Music Awards “Music Producer’s Secret Sauce”

-2020 Manitoba Music w/Zaki Ibrahim “Cultivating Community + Healing Through Artistry”

-2020 Folk Alliance International Panel “Women In Music: A Continued Call for Change”

-2020 Folk Alliance International Panel “The (Music Industry) Future Is Green”

-2019 Wilfrid Laurier University “Encounters In Music & Community; A Racial Justice Perspective”

-2019 Cape Breton Regional Municipality Arts, Culture & Events “Women In Music”

-2019 Canadian Music Week “Women In The Studio” Panelist Toronto

-2018 Women In Music Canada “Play Your Gender” Documentary Screening & Discussion

-2018 Canadian Music Week “The Producers; Spring Time for Hit Lists” Panelist Toronto
-2018 YWCA She Talks Speaker Cambridge
-2018 If I Ruled T.O. Youth Conference Speaker Toronto May

-2017 Folk Alliance International Panel “Global Roots Music & Folk”
-2016 Diversity in Folk Music Panel, Kansas City

-2015 Mundial Montreal World Music “Contemporizing Tradition”

Select Reviews & Publications:

New Feeling “Demystifying Sound Healing: Alysha Brilla on Her Album Circle”

CBC Arts “Why Alysha Brilla Aims to Heal with Music”

The Community Edition “Alysha Brilla’s Musical Path to Healing”

SOCAN Magazine “Music as Medicine”

Select Public Performances of Original Music:

Zanzibar, Tanzania - Mercury’s Jazz Bar

London, England - Amazing Grace

Reykjavík, Iceland - Iceland Airwaves Festival

Cannes, France - MIDEM Music Festival

Rishikesh, India - Rishikesh Yog Peeth