About Loire Cotler
Loire Cotler is a critically acclaimed Rhythm Vocalist whose life is defined by the healing power of music and a mission to show the world the rhythmic power of the voice. Bridging Medieval to Be-bop; World Music to Avant-Pop, Loire is renowned for her blazing South Indian drum language solos called Konnakol, while echoing vocal traditions inspired from a distant past, such as Jewish niggun, Middle Eastern taksim and The Great American Songbook reimagined.
“When I discovered scat singing during my teen years, I saw my whole life in front of me, and when I discovered Konnakol in my twenties I knew I had found may way home” Loire recalls.
Loire attended Long Island High School for the Arts, a gifted magnet school for the performing arts. She went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree of Music from Berklee College of Music in Boston, followed by a Master’s Degree in Music Therapy from New York University. Loire cites her mentor and husband Glen Velez and his Handance Method as having the greatest influence on her approach to music. She began learning Konnakol from Velez when their musical collaboration began in 2002. She also studied with Konnakol master Ghatam Subash Chandra. Loire has been invited to present masterclasses and workshops at The Juilliard School and other prestigious conservatories and universities around the World.[3
In December 2017 her dream of collaborating with film composers came full circle after being introduced to Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer by renowned vocalist and vocal contractor Edie Lehmann Boddicker and legendary synthesist Michael Lehmann Boddicker. In 2020 Zimmer introduced Loire’s work to his longtime collaborator and friend Grammy winning and multiple Oscar nominated film composer James Newton Howard. Soon after Loire began working remotely with James as the vocal soloist on his score for the breakthrough Disney film Raya and The Last Dragon as well as more amazing film projects.
Loire’s awareness of the healing power of music began early in her life. She frequently turned to songwriting and improvisation as a way of coping with the tragic death of her close friend who was killed while riding his bicycle at age 15. A few days after Loire’s 18th birthday, tragedy struck again when her father passed away on February 18, 1990 at age 45.
Loire’s debut solo recording 18Wings (Daft of Records) was released in 2020 as a homage to her beloved father. Loire’s beautiful “Musical Inspirations” share her insights about this special CD: 18 wings … 9 birds … taking flight in a V formation. The experience of making music for me embodies that imagery – a synchronizes up, down rhythm of flight, a migration through time and space.
In Jewish numerology, 18 represents chai – “life” … I explore the spaces between movement and stillness, sound and silence, meaning and wonder…Rhythm and voice are my wings – they are how I travel to “syllables beyond thought,” a subconscious language, I hope my music and artistic journey adds a deeper understanding and appreciation for the things we cannot define or touch, only feel and express. –Loire Cotler