Watch: Fusion Artist Zoya Mohan’s Visual EP ‘Lasya’

Zoya Mohan. Photo: Courtesy of the artist

When we last spoke to American Indian fusion artist Zoya Mohan, the Berklee College of Music graduate told us she had almost set her sights on releasing a full-length album, but later began planning for a three-track visual EP. Says Zoya, “I decided to take some more time with the album because it’s a full-length release and I want it to be a good representation of what I do.”

Taking a cue from the idea of a visual album, much like how pop artist Beyoncé released her self-titled 2013 album with a music video for each track, Zoya aims to combine her interest in dance and music with Lasya, her three-track EP. The follow-up to her single “Lunar Eclipsed,” which featured Brit rapper MIA’s drummer Kiran Gandhi, Lasya has three mellow tracks featuring Zoya’s soul-inspired vocals along with flute arrangements set to acoustic guitars and the occasional drum beat.

Visually, the songs cover three different dance forms ”“ from bharatnatyam [“Fire”] to ballet [“Willows”] and modern contact dancing [“Hold On”]. Says Zoya, who first became interested in music after performing as a dancer at her family’s parties, “Each dancer is capturing their own response to the messages of longing and pining relayed in the lyrics of my songs and visually expressing this through their dance. Ultimately, this will  capture a new immersive experience of my music and presentation, while paying tribute to the messages these songs are fighting for.”

Watch the video for “Fire” [Bharatnatyam]

 

Watch the video for “Willows” [Ballet]

 

Watch the video for “Hold On” [Modern contact dancing]