Our Story

We are Mandalele.  We are a trio of musicians who combine the individual expression of songwriting with magic layers of sweet harmony and rich instrumentation. We are three singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist women whose varied passions and interests are woven together through performance to create a colorful tapestry of storytelling and emotion. And three years into this incredible journey, we are inviting those with an appreciation for the independent nature of original artistic creation to participate in the completion our debut recording, Riddled in Rhyme.

The 15 original songs that we have assembled for Riddled in Rhyme have origins that are as varied as our unique personal backgrounds. The music draws influences from Hawaii, France, Kenya, and Gypsy fiddling, with lyrics that cover a range of emotional landscapes reflecting the joys and challenges of our life journeys and the beauty of the Blue Ridge mountains and rolling hills where we live. Having recorded these songs last winter at Lorraine’s home studio in Rappahannock County, Virginia, the goal of our Kickstarter campaign is to cover the costs of mixing, mastering, and production of our CD.

Here are a few rough cuts from the new album:

Mandalele is very proud to have secured the professional audio engineering talents of Bobby Read, a former bandmate of Lorraine’s in Trapezoid and current member of Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers.  Bobby will perform crossfades, mixing, and mastering for Riddled in Rhyme at Small World Audio, his studio near Charlottesville, Virginia, where former clients include Maggie Sansone, Devon Sproule, Carol Elizabeth Jones, Mike Seeger, Tim Reynolds, and many others.

In addition, our campaign goal includes funds to offset the initial production costs for Riddled in Rhyme, including artwork, photo layout, and liner notes, as well as manufacturing and packaging of the first run of 1000 CDs. Special thanks to Howard Zehr for the band photography session that generated the photo above, as well as others that will be used in the final CD package.

In exchange for your generous support of our Kickstarter campaign, we are extending a wide range of unique “thank you” rewards at a wide range of pledge levels. In addition to being able to pre-order the CD in both digital and physical format, we are offering everything from music lessons and gourmet French cooking to handmade jewelry and custom-recorded answering machine jingles. There are also opportunities to receive a special production credit on the Riddled in Rhyme CD and/or have Mandalele perform a private house concert for you and a group of friends.

NOTE: Photos of the earrings that Wendi is offering are shown here. Please specify which pair you prefer when making your pledge.

Whatever your support level might be, we are very grateful to all of our backers for their kindness and generosity and willingness to help our musical dream come to fruition.

Many thanks! Aloha!

Frances, Lorraine, and Wendi

http://listn.to/mandalele

Our Bios:

Lorraine Duisit (vocals, mandolin, guitars) is best known as a long-time member of Trapezoid, the internationally-celebrated modern folk group founded by composer/arranger Paul Reisler. The Washington Post hailed her as "a respected mandolinist and an enchanting lead singer; a writer of songs that sneak up out of old traditions and surprise you with new twists." Her music has been featured on All Things Considered, A Prairie Home Companion, and Voice of America and published in Sing Out! magazine and Mandolin World News. She has recorded and performed with a wide range of acclaimed artists including Howard Levy, John McCutcheon, and Holly Near. Upon the release of her solo debut Hawks and Herons, Billboard applauded the album's "ethereal vocals, acoustic instruments, and intriguing melodies that mix folk, jazz, pop, and other strains ..." and recognized her as "... an impressively original talent." http://www.myspace.com/lorraineduisit

Frances Miller Crowhill-Sauder  (violin/fiddle, vocals, viola, PANArt hang drum) is a passionate improvisationalist, singer-songwriter, and classically-trained musician whose creative inspirations draw upon her strong musical upbringing combined with a childhood split between living in East Africa and amongst the Mennonite community of Lancaster County. She has recorded and performed with Grammy Award-winning cellist David Darling and studied North Indian classical music with Humayun Khan. Frances has recorded and released three solo CDs (Water Song, Full Circle, and River of Tears) and one movie soundtrack. She currently teaches music and performs in the Lancaster area, where she and her husband are starting a small-scale, grass-fed dairy. Having recently completed Music for People's four-year Musicianship and Leadership Program, she is now a certified facilitator for improvisational music events. A recent graduate of Eastern Mennonite University's Center for Peace and Justice, she finds the heart of her work at the intersection of peacebuilding and the arts. She believes in the power of music to restore balance in both individuals and community, as well as to connect us with the earth and the raw elements of our lives. http://www.francesmiller.net

Wendi Sirat (vocals, ukekele, percussion) is an emerging singer-songwriter who plays the ukulele and a wide variety of percussion instruments. She has created musical scores and performed with the masked theatre group A Thousand Faces (formerly known as Friends of Gaia) since 1991. In addition to providing landscaping and gardening services to clients throughout Rappahannock County, she also facilitates rhythm-based events for children's programs, community groups, and women's gatherings.