Telesma is an American rock band formed in 2002 in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

. They approach different genres such as

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

world music "World music" is an English phrase for styles of music from non-English speaking countries, including quasi-traditional, Cross-cultural communication, intercultural, and traditional music. World music's broad nature and elasticity as a musical ...

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...

, and

trance music Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that emerged from Electronic body music, EBM in Frankfurt, Germany, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and quickly spread throughout Europe. Trance music is typically characterized by a tempo between ...

. A "telesma" is either a

talisman A talisman is any object ascribed with religious or magical powers intended to protect, heal, or harm individuals for whom they are made. Talismans are often portable objects carried on someone in a variety of ways, but can also be installed perm ...

or the energy with which a talisman is charged. The band often performs at festivals and other venues across the country, mostly in the Eastern half of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Current performers

* Ian Hesford (

didgeridoo The didgeridoo (;()), also spelt didjeridu, among other variants, is a wind instrument, played with vibrating lips to produce a continuous Drone (music), drone while using a special breathing technique called circular breathing. The didgerido ...

kubing The kubing is a type of Philippine jaw harp from bamboo found among the Maguindanaon and other Muslim and non-Muslim tribes in the Philippines and Indonesia. It is also called kobing (Maranao), kolibau (Tingguian), aru-ding (Tagbanwa people, Tagba ...

dumbek The goblet drum (also chalice drum, tarabuka, tarabaki, darbuka, darabuka, derbake, debuka, doumbek, dumbec, dumbeg, dumbelek, toumperleki, tumbak, or zerbaghali; / Romanized: ) is a single-head membranophone with a goblet-shaped body. It is ...

, percussion) * Jason Sage (keyboards, vocals, percussion, programmer) * Joanne Juskus (vocals, percussion,

karatalas The ''taal'' or ''manjira'' (also spelled ''manjīrā'' or ''manjeera''), ''jalra'', ''karatala'', ''kartal'' or ''gini'' is a pair of clash cymbals, originating in the Indian subcontinent, which make high-pitched percussion sounds. In its ...

) * Chris Mandra (guitar, analog guitar synth, the manDrum, and vocals) * Bryan "Jonesy" Jones (6 string MIDI & upright basses,

theremin The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone, etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named aft ...

, percussion) * Mike Kirby (drum kit, percussion, electronic drums) Additional artists/performers: * Indra Lazul (belly dancers) * Patricia Tamariz (body painter) * Adam Scott Miller (visual artist) * Alex & Allyson Grey (visual artist) * Jeremy Opio (visual artist)

Biography

Telesma's sound, often labeled “electro-acoustic psychedelic world dance music”, is driven by the ancient sound of the didgeridoo, the kubing (bamboo mouth harp), tribal drums and percussion, and the human voice. The group's work include albums “O(h)M” (2007), “Hearing Visions: Live” (2009), “Action In Inaction” (2012), and five song EP “Decade Dance” (2014) all released on their independent label “Strangely Compelling Music”.

Collaborations

Telesma has collaborated with several other artists. They co-created the 2008 Visionary Gathering in Baltimore with

Alex Grey Alex Grey (born November 29, 1953) is an American visual artist, author, teacher, and Vajrayana practitioner known for creating spiritual and psychedelic artwork such as his 21-painting ''Sacred Mirrors'' series. He works in multiple forms includi ...

, releasing a CD and DVD of the event entitled ''Hearing Visions: Live'', and worked on other projects with him at The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (CoSM). From 2010–present, Telesma collaborated with visual artist Adam Scott Miller on creating video content for their live projection show. As well as having Adam paint live with the band on several occasions. In 2012, Adam created the "LOTUS-CHAIN" video project which includes 3 videos for the Telesma songs "Chain", "White Lotus" and a 3rd song TBA. Other artists that Telesma has performed with include

Shpongle Shpongle is a psychedelic music, psychedelic electronic music project from England that formed in 1996. The group includes Hallucinogen (musician), Simon Posford and Raja Ram (musician), Raja Ram (one of three in The Infinity Project). The duo ...

Beats Antique Beats Antique is a U.S.-based experimental world fusion and electronic music group. Formed in 2007 in conjunction with producer Miles Copeland III, Miles Copeland, the group has become noted for their mix of different genres as well as their liv ...

EOTO EOTO ( ) was an electronic band consisting of Michael Travis and Jason Hann. On July 22, 2021 the band announced via social media that they would no longer be performing, due to irreconcilable creative differences. The post indicated that the de ...

, Papadosio,

Consider The Source Consider the Source is an American instrumental trio from New York City. Formed in 2004, the group has released six studio albums, four live albums, and one compilation. They have toured extensively across the United States, Israel, Turkey, and G ...

David Tipper David Alexander Tipper, also known as Tipper for short (born c. 1976 in Wimbledon, London, England) is a British composer and producer specialising in electronic music that ranges from Ambient music, ambient, through trip hop, to uptempo nu sko ...

, ArcheDream For Human-Kind, Delhi2Dublin, Woodland,

Bernie Worrell George Bernard Worrell, Jr. (April 19, 1944 – June 24, 2016) was an American Keyboard instrument, keyboardist and record producer best known as a founding member of the Parliament-Funkadelic collective. In later years, he also worked with ...

Cyro Baptista Cyro Baptista (born December 23, 1950) is a Brazilian-born percussionist in jazz and world music. He creates many of the percussion instruments he plays. Career Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Baptista arrived in the U.S. in 1980 with a scholarship ...

Beat the Donkey ''Beat the Donkey'' is an album by percussionist Cyro Baptista, which marked the debut of his rotating percussion and dance ensemble that would become known as Beat the Donkey, which was released on the Tzadik Records, Tzadik label in 2002.< ...

, See-I (featuring members of

Thievery Corporation Thievery Corporation is an American electronic music duo consisting of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton. Their musical style mixes elements of dub, acid jazz, reggae, Indian classical, Middle Eastern music, hip hop, electronica, and Brazilian music, ...

Faun The faun (, ; , ) is a half-human and half-goat mythological creature appearing in Greek and Roman mythology. Originally fauns of Roman mythology were ghosts ( genii) of rustic places, lesser versions of their chief, the god Faunus. Before t ...

Eliot Lipp Eliot Lipp is an American electronic music artist and DJ based in Brooklyn, New York. His work was picked up by Scott Herren of Prefuse 73 (Warp Records) after Herren heard him working the club circuit. In 2004, Lipp released his first studio al ...

, Jim Donovan (

Rusted Root Rusted Root is an American worldbeat rock band formed in 1990 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by singer-guitarist Michael Glabicki, bassist Patrick Norman and percussionist Liz Berlin. The band got its start as the house band playing a weekly gig in ...

), The Gypsy Nomads, and HuDost.

Venues

Some of the event venues Telesma has performed at include:

Camp Bisco The Disco Biscuits are an American jam band from Philadelphia. The band consists of Allen Aucoin (drums), Marc "Brownie" Brownstein (bass guitar, vocals), Jon "The Barber" Gutwillig (guitar, vocals), and Aron Magner (keyboards, synths, voca ...

, Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks,

Artscape Artscape may refer to: * Artscape (festival), an annual art festival in Baltimore, Maryland, US * Artscape (organisation), a Swedish nonprofit arts organisation * Artscape Nordland, an international art project in Norway * Artscape Theatre Centre ...

, the

Starwood Festival The Starwood Festival is a seven-day New Age Modern paganism, neopagan and world music festival. It takes place every July in the United States. The Starwood Festival is a camping event which holds workshops on a variety of subjects. There are ...

Faerieworlds Faerieworlds was an annual music and arts festival currently held annually in the U.S. state of Oregon. The festival's primary theme was the "realm of the faerie". As of 2015, the festival moved to Hornings Hideout near Portland after many rece ...

, PEX Summerfest, Spoutwood Fairie Festival, EvolveFest, FaerieCon, Raw Spirit Gathering, Culturefest, Karmafest, Maryland Faerie Festival, Alex Grey's Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (CoSM), Free Spirit Gathering, Primal Arts Festival, the Baltimore PowWow, Phanphest, SoWeBo Festival, Nelson's Ledges, and WIYY 98Rock’s Summer Concert Series.

Discography

* 2007 - ''O(h)M'' * 2008 - ''Hearing Visions: Live'' * 2012 - ''Action/in/Inaction'' * 2014 - "Decade Dance"

Filmography

* 2008 - ''Hearing Visions: Live'' DVD

References

* ''Aural Stimulation at its Finest'' by Michael Macey, May 5, 2009, Chesapeake Music Guide * ''A Decibel Disparate: Synethesia’s Entrancing Sound – Telesma'' by Brianne Leith, April 1, 2011, The Annapolis Sound * ''Meet Telesma'' by Zach Wilson, May 11, 2010, The Funk Box * ''Meet the Band: Telesma'' by Annie Linskey, July 29, 2004, ''

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...

'' * ''Music Box: Baltimore Band Telesma Setting the Country on Fire'' by Michael Buckley, April 19, 2012, Capital Gazette * ''Telesma'' by Dana Sobel, September 9, 2011, On the Verge:

Relix Magazine ''Relix'', originally and occasionally later ''Dead Relix'', is a magazine that focuses on live and improvisational music. The magazine was launched in 1974 as a handmade newsletter devoted to connecting people who recorded Grateful Dead concer ...

* ''Telesma Channels the Spirit'', March 22, 2010, The Painting Queen * ''Telesma LOVEfest'' by Justin Allen, February 16, 2011, What Weekly * ''What do Didgeridoo, Dumbeks, Kubings and Karatalas Have in Common?'' by Debbie Snyder, Lehigh Valley InSite * ''World Beat is Not Enough: Baltimore’s Telesma Digs into the Elusive Vibes of Indigenous Music'' by Robbie Whelan, January 5, 2005, ''

Baltimore City Paper ''Baltimore City Paper'' was a free alternative weekly newspaper published in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, founded in 1977 by Russ Smith and Alan Hirsch. The most recent owner was the Baltimore Sun Media Group, which purchased the pape ...

'' {{Reflist Musical groups from Baltimore Musical groups established in 2002 American psychedelic rock music groups Jam bands American neo-psychedelia groups Freak folk 2002 establishments in Maryland