Eleanor Academia

Born in Hawaii, Academia grew up in Southern California and developed a love for the rock ’n’ roll now embedded firmly in her soul. She started her career as a musical director under Quincy Jones and released two major label records of her own. She also worked and toured with artists as diverse as Cyndi Lauper, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and Ray Parker Jr., with whom she occasionally still tours. She created and runs her label, Black Swan Records, and has recorded her own albums with a crew of amazing A-list musicians. Claiming writing, arranging, engineering, performing, and producing credits on her forthcoming album When You Live, Academia rocks the disc with players like Joey Heredia and Matt Bissonette, who skillfully elevate her keyboard ripping. The music is surprisingly muscular, with songs that are tight and bursting with chops throughout. Though the vibe on the album is most definitely rocking, her lyrics and melodic sensibilities show a deeper pool of musical inspiration — more than, say, just some metal chick with a synth jones.

Metal and — Philippine percussion? Academia draws inspiration from the gong and drum music tradition called kulintang, which she performs with the World Kulintang Institute. It’s both melodic and rhythmic music — and it influences Academia’s approach to the keyboard, though her solos admittedly owe more to Iron Maiden than the Asian Pacific. But Academia finds it very important to not just carry on this ancient cultural tradition, but to share it with the world, which she’s done via live shows and a CD released by her Kulintang ensemble; the sounds and rhythms stretch back centuries and it’s a transportive music to witness.

This spring, Black Swan will release When You Live and it’s worthy of your ears and more than a little banging of your head. Academia will surely be on the move in ’08 so keep an eye out for a burning keytar and a whole lotta rock ’n’ roll!