Mana Contractor is a multi-hyphenate artist. Her interests lie in the collective growth of the collaborative artistic community. As a singer, her formative learning experiences were in the Hindustani Classical tradition under the tutelage of her guru Aditi Upadhyaya. In addition to Hindustani Classical, Mana has studied and performed numerous singing styles including, but not limited to, jazz, R&B, Persian and Carnatic classical. She joined the Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music in India for formal training in Jazz. There she had the opportunity to begin work on her now signature global musical style on a fusion piece for the Neumann product launch in Chennai. She also collaborated with Fulbright Scholar Alex Pinto on his musical project: “The All India Permit”, which sought to fuse Carnatic with Jazz. She was mentored by renowned international artists including Raphaelle Brochet, Natalie John, Magos Herrera, Tom Brislin, Karina Colis, Carolina Calvache, and Steve Zerlin which cemented her groundedly eclectic approach to musical experimentation. Her focus on improvisation and fusion has led to her developing a unique style as a globally conscious artist.

 

Current lead singer of neo-soul quartet Lace, Mana & Co., Jazz band Tea for Two, and one half of electronic duo NMND, Mana is a versatile vocalist who is equally comfortable singing Jazz, RnB, and Rock. Neo-soul quartet Lace has headlined at venues both in Los Angeles and India and the electronic duo NMND has performed at the Troubadour and the Lillian Disney Dance Theater. 

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As a studio singer, Mana has recorded and released 2 EPs with Lace and NMND respectively. In addition to the 2 EPS, Mana recorded a cast album with the Experimental Opera company The Industry, lauded by the LA Times as “an essential component of American Opera” in their production of Sweetland. 

 

As a vocal ensemble singer, Mana has performed in The Industry’s production of Sweetland performed at the Los Angeles historical park, David Lang’s Crowd Out at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and Juliet Palmers’ opera Sweat at the California Institute of the Arts. 

 

As a producer, Mana’s work has been performed at REDCAT Los Angeles, The Troubadour, The Bootleg Theater, as part of Jodhpur RIFF (Rajasthan International Folk Festival) in the UNESCO heritage venue at Mehrangarh Fort (Jodhpur) and countless other venues and festivals across India and Sri Lanka.