Shantala

Shantala operates as a husband-and-wife duo from Portland, Oregon, formed by Heather and Benjy Wertheimer. Their core sound centers on acoustic-oriented folk-pop, shaped in part by Heather’s vocal inspirations that encompass Janis Ian, Joan Baez, Sandy Denny, Judy Collins, and Joni Mitchell. The pair has drawn notice within new age audiences, owing to the pastoral, gentle, relaxed, peaceful, and tranquil character of their folk-pop, a far cry from the anti-folk style linked to East Coast figures such as Lach and Lenny Molotov in New York or Adam Brodsky in Philadelphia. Heather’s role as a yoga teacher, combined with the sweetness she brings to performances, has further strengthened their standing in those circles.

Within the duo, Heather and Benjy each handle multiple responsibilities. Heather serves as lead vocalist, plays acoustic guitar, contributes to production, and writes the majority of the material. Benjy supplies background vocals and performs on electric keyboards, percussion, and an array of world-music instruments that include the djembe, the esraj, and Indian tabla drums; he also assists with production and offers occasional songwriting, though Heather remains the chief architect of Shantala’s direction. Neither member treats the project as a full-time occupation, maintaining instead a range of separate endeavors. Heather has appeared across the Pacific Northwest with Lonesome Taxi and Heartstrings while serving as a featured vocalist in the musical Return to Avalon. Benjy has performed and toured with various world-music ensembles, among them Ancient Future and the Zakir Hussain Rhythm Experience, and has composed for television, including more than five years of scoring for the canceled NBC daytime soap opera Santa Barbara.

As a solo artist, Benjy released the world-fusion album Circle of Fire, recorded in 2001 and issued independently on the Ancient-Future label the following year. Shantala’s debut recording arrived in 2003 with The Love Window, a set of yoga chants issued on Ancient-Future, followed by the acoustic-oriented folk-pop album Church of Sky, also on Ancient-Future.