The Sheldon Concert Hall Welcomes Musica SLESA with Aakash Mittal Quartet and Les Filles Du Jazz 3/18

The Sheldon Concert Hall welcomes Musica SLESA with Aakash Mittal Quartet and Les Filles Du Jazz March 18, 2011 at 8 p.m. in the Sheldon Ballroom. Tickets are on sale now for $10 general admission. Call MetroTix at 314.534.1111 or visit www.TheSheldon.org.

Musica SLESA is St. Louis' newest ensemble devoted to the promotion of Latin music. Comprised of some of the area's top performers and educators, Musica SLESA performs arrangements of contemporary Latin music as well as a fresh look at classics of the Latin jazz genre. Their driving grooves, virtuosic horn lines, powerful vocals and masterful improvisations have inspired audiences throughout the St. Louis area.

Aakash Mittal is emerging as a fresh voice in the creative music scene. His latest self-released album, VIDESH, has been hailed by The Denver Post as, "point[ing] toward new possibilities in improvised music." Mittal is not held back by specific genres but draws inspiration from an eclectic mix of modern jazz, rock, Indian raga music, and field samples of sounds from our modern world, to tell a story of the human experience. Mittal has performed nationally at such venues as The Dakota in Minneapolis, The Cultural Center of Chicago, and Dazzle Jazz Club in Denver. Internationally, Mittal has performed in Kolkata, India with world-renowned percussionist Pandit Tanmoy Bose as a part of the group Taal Tantra, and with Kendraka, an eclectic creative music ensemble.

Les Filles du Jazz features two enigmatic women, Heather Bosshardt and Carmen Emborski, who combine their creative whimsy to make lighthearted and lyrical music. Heather Bosshardt, an energetic classical pianist, enjoys composing and arranging hymns and has a passion for music, performing and teaching. Carmen Emborski is a singer for the United States Air Force and fabulous jazz vocalist with a penchant for percussion. Les Filles du Jazz strives to create music that is lighthearted, inspiring, reflective and a celebration of life.