Swinging from one style of music to another, South Asian fusion band Monkey Shanti breaks the language and genre mould with their eclectic mashups, covers and originals.

The name is a word play on mann ki shanti which means ‘peace of mind’ in Hindi denoting the playfulness and mashed up nature of their music.

Their performance is a celebration of diversity, unity and the timeless power of music harmoniously blending regional folk and pop music in various languages from across South Asia with genres like indie, folk, pop and rock from the Global North that resonate with one and all.

They’ve been enchanting audiences at community events, fundraisers and festivals since their inception in 2017, with their first gig at the Mill Road Winter Fair in Dec 2017.

They are 5 people from 3 countries with a repertoire spanning 11 languages and the richness of diverse cultures.

The band consists of

Anusha Iyer, an award-winning singer, as the lead vocalist

Jess Brett, a musician in her own right, on guitar

Jo Beardmore, on flute

Chris Pointon, on bass guitar and double bass

Ananth Iyer, on various percussion instruments including Indian drums like tabla and mridangam.