Sananda Maitreya Biography
Artist, composer, arranger, producer, multi-instrumentalist, entrepreneur and Post Millennium Rocker, SANANDA MAITREYA was born in New York U.S.A. on March 15th 1962. He plays the basic instruments of Rock: drums, bass, guitar and keyboards; as well as a few others instruments besides and he can never remember a time when music wasn’t playing in his head. From the beginning of his professional career he has personally written arranged and produced all his music and has also collaborated with other top artists and producers.
In 1987 his debut album “Introducing the Hardline”, gives him International success. Sananda wins a Grammy Award in 1988 as Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male.In June 1988 he is on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine and he is nominated “Top International Newcomer” at the British Awards. In the following years 3 studio albums are published: “Neither Fish Nor Flesh” in 1989, “Symphony or Damn” in 1993 and “Vibrator” in 1995.The albums have many famous songs including the soundtracks of various legendary Hollywood movies such as: ‘Beverly Hills Cop III’, ‘Prêt-à-Porter’, ‘The Promised Land’, ‘The Fan’, ‘Shake Rattle & Roll’, ‘Frankie & Johnny’. These songs also do appear in more recent films such as ‘Knocked Up’, ‘Funny People’, ‘Up In the Air’, ‘Yoga Hosers’, ‘Am Ende Legende’ etc.; as well as in TV series such as ‘Sex Education’, ‘Camping’, ‘Schooled’, ‘Tiny Dancers’ and Theatre Shows: ‘Alvin Ailey’s Lazarus’.Maitreya in this period also works as an actor, he has a role in 1988 in the movie “Clubland” and in 1999 he plays Jackie Wilson in the CBS TV series “Shake, Rattle & Roll”.
In 2000 he opens the Sidney Olympic Games performing as the lead singer of INXS. In 2001 his fifth album “WildCard!” is ready and marks his new life as an independent artist.