We recently connected with Sha Ked and have shared our conversation below.

Sha ked, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

For me, meaning comes from what makes me feel like I’m actually doing something – which can seem impossible as a musician. 

I remember seeing a poster someone put up for a climate festival that they wanted to start… and it caught my eye. I scanned the poster and told them I needed to be a part of it. Sofia, the festival’s founder, called me and we started working on what would become a beautiful musical and ecological experience.

The idea was to create a festival that would show how music can move us to a better future and the spirituality of saving mother Earth. I see it all connecting, where music and art are the engine driving us to feel and make better decisions. The emotion, art, and action are intertwined – There’s a great quote my friend Guy Gottesfeld wrote for our festival – “Musicians can inspire others to see the beauty we have in this world, and by doing so we can inspire them to take better care of it”.

We can heal the planet and our communities through conversations for a more sustainable future.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a musician, creator, + thinker. Raised in New York City, I went to LaGuardia HS and Berklee College learning to produce, write, sing, and play bass. 

I’ve been playing music since I was 6 – when my parents signed me up for a guitar class in some basement in the suburbs. 

My music is a versatile blend of city funk with melodic storytelling and middle eastern spice. I try to make people think with my music. I don’t wanna give everything away on the one. And I know it’s kind of young to do that but I feel like complex ideas and second listens are the move.

I’m very excited for my freshman album, coming out at the end of the year. I’ve been working on some of these for 5 years, and I’m proud of where we got them.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Sort of, the book 12 Angry Men is one I read recently that made me rethink a few of my philosophies for music. And in a weird way too. I was reading the book on a park bench, and I was so immersed, I started visualizing scenes as if I were directing them. And I really wanted to keep directing them. After a few days simmering in this, it clicked.

Let the imagination tell the story. It’s like how when we were kids, our imagination would run free and rule our minds. And we’ve sort of stopped with that, maybe because of all the content we’re being fed, maybe because we’re grown. Either way, we as musicians and content creators need to tap in to the imagination. Let people imagine how your shows will be, don’t show them. And then when you do finally show them, throw something out of left field.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I want to make people happy. I want to add more fun and joy into the world. Everything can really put you down most of the time, and people around me say I’m positive – why not spread it.

Music has such a vast and beautiful reach, though I always find myself asking, why should my music reach you? When I enter my little studio, or a rehearsal, or get on stage, all I want to do is make people feel. 

The purpose of life is to feel. It’s the entire meaning of living. We say we’re not living if we aren’t feeling, that’s why art and music are the most important things. I have a saying – Good people, good music, good food. That’s all you need. I been saying this for years and I’ll never stop believing it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: shakedlevylevy

Image Credits

Yaam Gonen
Felipe Valdes
Dulce Villarreal