Iya

Eric Heim first saw the light of day in Tokyo, later sharpening his abilities in Minneapolis as a member of Shangoya, the Caribbean-tinged outfit where he performed on saxophone and guitar while also supplying vocals. After parting ways with the group, he spent a year on the West Coast before heading back to Minneapolis, by then a committed Rastafarian. There he wove spiritual reggae textures together with R&B and hip-hop when laying down his debut album, Send the Love, in 1998.