Leila Bela: Difference between revisions

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{{short description| American avant-garde musician, writer, photographer}}

{{Infobox musical artist | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}

| Name = Leila Bela

{{BLP sources|date=October 2019}}

| Img = Leilabela.jpg

{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->

| Img_capt = Photo courtesy of Leila Bela, back cover photo of Bela's 2002 album, ''[[Angra Manyu]]''. Bela shot this photo with a manual antique camera in her apartment.

| Img_sizename = Leila Bela

| Landscapenative_name = ليلا = yesبلا

| native_name_lang = fas

| Background = solo_singer

| Birth_nameimage =

| Alias caption =

| background = solo_singer

| Born = ? in {{flagicon|Iran}}<small>[[Tehran, Iran|Tehran]], [[Iran]]</small>

| Died birth_name =

| alias =

| Origin = {{flagicon|United States}} <small>[[Austin, Texas|Austin]], [[Texas]], [[USA]]</small>

| birth_date =

| Instrument = [[Drums]], [[harp]], [[santur]], [[violin]], [[sitar]], [[psaltery]] among other instruments

| Genre birth_place = [[Experimental music|ExperimentalTehran]], [[avant-garde]], [[noise music|noiseIran]]

| Occupationorigin = [[Musician]]Austin, [[writer]], [[actressTexas]], [[recordUnited producerStates|U.S.]]

| instrument = [[Drum kit|drums]], [[harp]], [[Santoor (Persian instrument)|santur]], [[violin]], [[psaltery]] among other instruments

| Years_active = [[2002 in music|2002]]&ndash;present

| Labelgenre = [[Experimental =music|Experimental]], Ellahy[[avant-garde]], Amen[[noise Recordsmusic|noise]]

| occupation = [[Musician]], [[writer]], [[actress]], [[record producer]], [[film director]]

| Associated_acts = [[Pigface]] <small>([[2004]]–2004)</small>

| years_active = 2002&ndash;present

| URL = [http://www.leilabela.com leilabela.com]

| label = [[Ellahy Amen Records]]

| associated_acts =

| website = {{URL|http://www.leilabela.com}}

}}

'''Leila Bela''' ({{langx|fa|ليلا بلا }}) is an [[Iran]]ian-born [[United States|American]] [[avant-garde]] [[musician]], [[writer]], [[photographer]], [[actress]], [[multi-instrumentalist]], [[playwright]], and recording artist from [[Austin, Texas]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/34980/1/12-musicians-create-alternative-national-anthems-for-dazed|title=12 musicians create alternative national anthems for Dazed|last=Dazed|date=March 2, 2017|website=Dazed|language=en|access-date=October 13, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Iranian immigrants to the united states : goli ameri, shohreh aghdashloo, tina gharavi, reza ...|date=2010|publisher=Books Llc|isbn=978-1155623764|___location=[Place of publication not identified]|oclc=690539829}}</ref>

'''Leila Bela''' ({{lang-fa|بلا ليلى }}) (born in [[Tehran, Iran]]) is an [[Iran|Iranian]]-born

[[United States|American]] [[avant-garde]] [[musician]], [[writer]], [[actress]], [[multi-instrumentalist]] and record

producer from [[Austin, Texas]].

==Early life and education==

==Biography==

Bela was born Leila Bela Kousheshi, in [[Tehran]], [[Iran]], butto hasa livedfamily inof different[[Persian countriespeople|Persian]] allfemale oversingers theand musicians such as her great-aunt [[Monir Vakili]]

as well as former Persian royalty, descendants of the [[Qajar dynasty|Qajar]] Empire but was not raised by them. Her mother abandoned her at age four and she lived in several foster homes and with family and strangers all over the world growing up. In her early teens she was very active in the punk and underground music scene. She began attending Nightclubs and gay bars such as Numbers and Rich's in Houston, Tx.

world growing up. She is a descendant of [[Persian]] emperors and female avant-garde musicians.

In her late teens she began writing [[freelancer|freelance]] articles about underground music for various local papers. Her first major job was an interview with [[Trent Reznor]] of [[Nine Inch Nails]]. She had been told by the paper only to cover the show, but when Reznor saw her, he introduced himself and offered her an interview, allowing her to use his recording device to record it. She accepted, and he later invited her to the opening of the very first [[Lollapalooza]] as his guest and a reporter.

At the age of 14, Bela began writing [[freelancer|freelance]]

articles about indie musicians for various local papers. Her first major job

was an interview with [[Trent Reznor]] of [[Nine Inch Nails]]. She began her

first magazine while attending college at The [[University of Houston]] in

[[1998]], majoring in theatre, physics, photography and playwriting. The plays she appeared in were all in local theater.<ref>{{cite news

|title = UH brings 'Top Girls' to the stage

|first = Geronimo

|last = Rodriguez

|date = 2002

|work = [[The Daily Cougar]]

|accessdate = 2005

|url=http://www.stp.uh.edu/vol67/122/shobiz/shobiz2.html}}</ref>She was

one of five students out of thousands of people from her theatre school

to study with [[Edward Albee]], an award-winning

playwright.

and studied

[[Shakespeare]] with Sir [[Peter Hall]] and became one of 5 students chosen to study with him.<ref>{{cite news

|title = Leila Bela's 'Angra Manyu' takes noise to new heights

|first = Dixie Ann

|last = Dalton

|date = 2006

|work = Reprint of [[The Daily Cougar]]

|accessdate = 2005

|url=http://www.leilabela.com/daily_cougar.html}}</ref>

She joined the [[supergroup]] [[Pigface]] briefly in [[2004]] after an invite from

bandleader [[Martin Atkins]] to play drums with the band while

performing as an opening act.<ref>{{cite news

|title = Austin Chronicle review

|first = Christopher

|last = Gray

|date = 2004

|work = Reprint of [[The Austin Chronicle]]

|accessdate = 2006

|url= http://www.leilabela.com/ac_press.html}}</ref>

However, Bela left the band to pursue other projects of her own.

In [[2002]], Bela launched Ellahy Amen Records, a label based in [[Paris|Paris, France]] and Austin, Texas for avant-garde musicians. She got the idea to

start her own label after getting offers from other labels that she wasn't satisfied with. Currently, the label has three official artists signed to it; Bela, along with six-year-old singer-songwriter, [[Maya Bond]] and Lexion Blacklord, a

musician from [[Switzerland]]. (She is also responsible for producing Bond's [[2004]] debut ''[[Pink Drums, Purple Lights]]''.) She completed a tour with Bond in [[2005]] to promote their

music and she has an upcoming solo tour in [[Italy]].

After dealing with issues of misogyny in the newspaper industry she started her own one-woman music magazine in 1998 called NYXLair while attending college at the [[University of Houston]]. There she double majored in theatre and physics and minored in literature, as well as taking independent studies in photography and playwriting. She was one of five students, chosen out of thousands who had submitted original plays, to study with award-winning playwright [[Edward Albee]], known for his dark themes.

==''Angra Manyu''==

In 2002, Bela recorded, produced and released her debut album,

''[[Angra Manyu]]'' on the label. The album consists of 65 tracks, which

Bela dubs a concept album. The album consists of different sounds,

noise, etc which Bela recorded in her apartment with a recorder. On the

album, Bela had used various objects around her apartment to use as

musical instruments. On the track, "One Night", for example, Bela used her

cat, Loralie and bells while whispering in the background. Throughout

the album, Bela has used items such as hairbrushes, a vacuum cleaner and

pots filled with water. She also used a [[quantum physics]] breathing

technique and [[Japanese]] and [[Tibetian]] growling vocals, plus 17 various instruments

from around the world. In 2004, she was invited to play [[SXSW]]'s music festival.

<ref>{{cite news

|title = 'Angra Manyu' a strange emotional display

|first = Perez

|last = Amy

|date = 2003

|work = [[The Daily Cougar]]

|accessdate = 2006

|url= http://www.stp.uh.edu/vol69/45/arts/arts2.html}}</ref>

According to an article written in the [[Free Press]] about the album, ''Angra Manyu'', the article stated [[avant-garde metal]] vocalist [[Mike Patton]], a former friend of Bela's, helped put Bela's album together. However, Bela stated in a reprint of the article that Patton never helped her with any aspect of the album and sold her out as well as gave her ideas to [[Björk]].<ref>{{cite news

|title = You Scare me, but I like it

|first = Sheibia

|last = Warren

|date = 2003

|work = Reprint of [[The Free Press]]

|accessdate = [[April 15]], [[2007]]

|url= http://www.leilabela.com/free_press.html}}</ref>

Her [[Shakespeare]] audition in her second year at university also landed her in a class taught by master Shakespearean director Sir [[Peter Hall (theatre director)|Peter Hall]], who chose four people for the semester class in Houston. She performed such roles as Natalia in ''[[Three Sisters (play)|Three Sisters]]'' in 2001, Lady Nijo in ''[[Top Girls]]'' in 2002, Regan in ''[[King Lear]]'', Phoebe in ''[[As You Like It]]'', and Antigone in ''[[Antigone (Sophocles play)|Antigone]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title = Leila Bela's 'Angra Manyu' takes noise to new heights|first = Dixie Ann|last = Dalton|year = 2006|work = Reprint of [[The Daily Cougar]]|accessdate = April 4, 2007|url=http://www.leilabela.com/daily_cougar.html}}</ref>

==Acting==

*Natalia in ''[[Three Sisters]]'' in [[2001]]

*Lady Nijo in ''[[Top Girls]]'' in [[2002]]

*Regan in ''[[King Lear]]''

*Pheobe in ''[[As You Like It]]''

*Antigine in ''[[Antigone]]''

==Albums Career ==

Despite her teachers urging her to pursue an acting career, Bela decided to start writing a concept album of experimental music after school and soon left the theatre world for music with a theatrical twist. After releasing her first album, which she recorded at home on a small recording device, she started playing live shows. After opening for bandleader [[Martin Atkins]]' group in a show, she joined his [[Supergroup (music)|supergroup]] [[Pigface]] briefly in 2004.<ref>{{cite news|title = Austin Chronicle review|first = Christopher|last = Gray|year = 2004|accessdate = April 4, 2007|url= http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid:202809}}</ref>

In 2002, she launched [[Ellahy Amen Records]], a label based in [[Paris|Paris, France]] and [[Austin, Texas]] for avant-garde musicians.<ref>{{cite news|title = A Holiday Blast, Winter wonderland of noise!|first = Sarah|last = Marie|year = 2008|work = [[The Austinist]]|accessdate = February 22, 2010|url = http://austinist.com/2008/12/18/a_holiday_blast_winter_wonderland_o.php|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120224193801/http://austinist.com/2008/12/18/a_holiday_blast_winter_wonderland_o.php|archive-date = February 24, 2012|url-status = dead}}</ref>

According to her website, Bela got the idea to start her own label after getting offers from other labels that she wasn't satisfied with; she didn't want to be on a male-run label. According to an interview on Persian radio, this decision came after [[Mike Patton]] emailed her urging her to pick the label that was the best permanent home for her music rather than a label that would be a quick fix. Artists signed to her label include Bela herself; Maya Bond, an eight-year-old singer-songwriter; and Lexion Blacklord, a musician from [[Switzerland]].

Bela is also the creator of a [[custom-made instrument]] called a Beltar, which has [[sympathetic string]]s and can play either noise or melody. The Beltar can be used both electrically or acoustically. Bela designed it to look like a weapon based on a theory [[Trey Spruance]] related to her of how "instruments are the weapons of angels".{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

In 2004, she was invited to play [[SXSW]]'s music festival to promote her album.<ref>{{cite news|title = Merry Everything Xmas, The Austinist.|first = Sarah|last = Marie|year = 2008|accessdate = February 22, 2010|url = http://austinist.com/2008/12/03/merry_everything_xmas_expo_at_galle_1.php|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111001213207/http://austinist.com/2008/12/03/merry_everything_xmas_expo_at_galle_1.php|archive-date = October 1, 2011|url-status = dead}}</ref>

Bela collaborated with [[Eric Tessmer]] in 2010 on a Persian folk song called "To Beya". Bela wrote the rearrangement of the song and directed a video that was shown on a Persian Film Festival site.<ref>{{cite news|title = Eric Tessmer Band heats things up, The Austinist.|first = Sarah|last = Marie|year = 2009|accessdate = February 22, 2010|url = http://austinist.com/2009/12/03/nothing_is_more_human_or.php|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120224193819/http://austinist.com/2009/12/03/nothing_is_more_human_or.php|archive-date = February 24, 2012|url-status = dead}}</ref>

Bela was featured in Dazed Magazine as one of 12 artists who made alternative anthems for Dazed. She created an experimental track for them to stream called "Bitten Reformer<ref>{{Citation |title=Leila Bela - Bitten Reformer (World Anthem) |url=https://soundcloud.com/dazedandconfused/bitten-reformer-world-anthem |language=en |access-date=2022-04-11}}</ref>".

==Discography==

{| class="wikitable"

!align="left"|Year

!align="left"|Album

!align="left"|Cover

|-

|align="left"|[[2003]]

|align="left"|''Angra Manyu''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aftabcomm.org/leila-bela|title=Empowering Iranian-American Artists and Art|website=Aftab Committee|language=en-US|access-date=October 13, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Critical approaches to the production of music and sound|others=Bennett, Samantha (Music professor), Bates, Eliot|isbn=9781501332067|___location=New York, NY|oclc=1000297807|date = January 11, 2018}}</ref>

|align="left"|'''''[[Angra Manyu]]'''''

|align="left"|[[Image:Leilabelaalbum.jpg|90px]]

|}

==FactsReferences==

{{Reflist}}

*Is a deep believer of [[Christianity]] and [[Jesus Christ]]

*Plays at least forty different instruments and noise

==External links==

*[http://www.leilabela.com Official website]

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070716043749/http://ellahyamenrecords.com/ Official record label]

*{{MySpace-music|leilabela}}

{{Pigface}}

*[http://www.ellahyamenrecords.com Official record label]

{{authority control}}

== References ==

<div class="references-small">

<references/>

</div>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bela, Leila}}

[[Category:American outsider musicians]]

[[Category:Guitar makers]]

[[Category:American stage actresses]]

[[Category:YearPhotographers offrom birth unknownTexas]]

[[Category:OutsiderIranian musicemigrants to the United States]]

[[Category:NoiseAmerican noise musicians]]

[[Category:SitarMusicians playersfrom Tehran]]

[[Category:IranianAmerican Americanswomen singers]]

[[Category:People from Tehran]]

[[Category:Iranian Americans]]

[[Category:American record producers]]

[[Category:American female singers]]

[[Category:American Christians]]

[[Category:American record producers]]

[[Category:Living people]]

[[Category:NaturalizedWriters citizensfrom ofAustin, the United StatesTexas]]

[[Category:AmericanDrummers writersfrom Austin, Texas]]

[[Category:People from Austin, Texas]]

[[Category:Texas musicians]]

[[Category:American multi-instrumentalists]]

[[Category:University of Houston alumni]]

{{US-actor-stub}}

[[Category:Pigface members]]

[[Category:Film directors from Texas]]

[[Category:American women drummers]]

[[Category:21st-century American women guitarists]]

[[Category:21st-century American guitarists]]

[[Category:Guitarists from Texas]]

[[Category:21st-century American drummers]]

[[Category:21st-century American violinists]]

[[Category:American women violinists]]

[[Category:21st-century American women photographers]]

[[Category:21st-century American photographers]]

[[Category:1970 births]]