Ella Spira

MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...

is a Grammy-nominated composer, visual artist and an award-winning theatre producer based in London, England. Spira co-founded the production company

Sisters Grimm ''The Sisters Grimm'' is a children's fantasy Book series, series written by Michael Buckley (author), Michael Buckley and illustrated by Peter Ferguson. The series features two sisters, Sabrina Grimm and Daphne Grimm, and consists of nine novel ...

alongside ex

Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...

ballerina Pietra De Mello-Pittman in 2009. Spira writes and composes music for ballet and film, and works as an arranger making dance remixes for popular UK artists, but her main focus remains

productions. She was born in

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...

, and was mentored by film composer

David Arnold David Arnold (born 23 January 1962) is a British film composer whose credits include scoring five James Bond films, as well as ''Stargate'' (1994), '' Independence Day'' (1996), ''Godzilla'' (1998) and the television series '' Little Britain'' ...

. As a painter, Spira captured landscapes in situ of countries like China, Indonesia, Lapland, France, Albania, UAE, Brazil, Russia, the UK, and Portugal. Her artworks promote respect and appreciation for nature and raise awareness of environmental issues.

Achievements

In 2008, Spira was nominated for the

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

Talented Newcomers Award for production music, partly as a result of her achievements as a UK delegate for a European Arts Initiative sponsored by the

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...

. A year later, she was commissioned to write a series of pieces for the BAFTA/Rocliffe New Writers’ Forum for the 2009 International Screenwriters' Festival. In the same year, Spira co-founded dance production company

with Royal Ballet dancer Pietra Mello-Pittman. Spira has created film scores, dance compositions for

The Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...

and made remixes for

Bruno Mars Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical s ...

McFly McFly are an English pop rock band formed in London in 2003. The band took their name from the '' Back to the Future'' character Marty McFly. The band consists of Tom Fletcher (lead vocals, guitar, and piano), Danny Jones (lead vocals, har ...

Jay Sean Kamaljit Singh Jhooti (born 26 March 1981), better known by the stage name Jay Sean, is a British singer and songwriter. He debuted in the UK's Asian Underground scene as a member of the Rishi Rich Project with "Dance with You", which reached ...

Alesha Dixon Alesha Anjanette Dixon (born 7 October 1978) is an English singer, rapper, dancer, television personality, and author. She gained recognition in the early 2000s as a member of the R&B, garage and hip hop group Mis-Teeq. The group disbanded in ...

and

Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur. He embarked on his music career with the hip hop group St. Lunatics in 1993 and signed to Universal ...

. Between 2010 and 2014, she has collaborated with South African choir

Ladysmith Black Mambazo Ladysmith Black Mambazo are a South African male choral group singing in the local vocal styles of ''isicathamiya'' and '' mbube''. They became known internationally after singing with Paul Simon on his 1986 album ''Graceland'', and have won m ...

and Mark Baldwin, artistic director of

Rambert Dance Company Rambert (known as Rambert Dance Company before 2014) is a leading British dance company. Formed at the start of the 20th century as a classical ballet company, it exerted a great deal of influence on the development of dance in the United Kingd ...

, for the dance work ''Inala'' premiered at the

Edinburgh International Festival The Edinburgh International Festival is an annual arts festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, spread over the final three weeks in August. Notable figures from the international world of music (especially classical music) and the performing arts are i ...

on 10 August 2014 and at London's

Sadler's Wells Theatre Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-seat ...

in September 2014. Spira was nominated for a

Grammy Award for Best World Music Album The Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album is an honor presented to recording artists for influential music from around the globe at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors i ...

in 2016 for the album 'Songs from INALA' - a Zulu ballet. Following her previous success with ''Inala,'' Ella Spira has written the musical score of a new show called ''Voices of the Amazon'', inspired by the

Amazon rainforest The Amazon rainforest, Amazon jungle or ; es, Selva amazónica, , or usually ; french: Forêt amazonienne; nl, Amazoneregenwoud. In English, the names are sometimes capitalized further, as Amazon Rainforest, Amazon Forest, or Amazon Jungle. ...

, where her partner, and co-founder of

, Pietra Mello-Pittman, was born. ''Voices of the Amazon'' premiered in July 2017 at

in London, followed by Russia and Singapore. Spira has written the musical composition in collaboration with other Brazilian songwriters and world-renowned percussionists

Olodum Olodum is a ''bloco-afro'' from Salvador's carnival, in Bahia, Brazil. It was founded by the percussionist Neguinho do Samba. Banda Olodum (Olodum's Band) Olodum is widely credited with developing the music style known as samba reggae and for ...

. The dance musical was directed by Pietra Mello-Pittman, choreographed by

Helen Pickett Helen Pickett is an American choreographer for stage and film, and has been described as “one of the few prominent women in ballet today”. Early life and education Pickett was raised in San Francisco, California. Her mother is a retired pe ...

and performed by some exceptionally talented dancers, singers and musicians from Brazil. With

Jeremy Irons Jeremy John Irons (; born 19 September 1948) is an English actor and activist. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969 and has appeared in many West End theatre ...

as a narrator, the show won the Brazilian International Press Award Best Show. In 2020, Ella composed and released 5 music videos for

new Arab World Show with over 8.5 million

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

views, including over 1 million views for "Together Let Go" and over 3 million views for the UAE National Day release ''United''. Spira co-wrote the song "Together Let Go" with the help of rapper DB Gad and Papon, featuring vocals of Madyan Hamza and Arqam Al Abri. The music video was directed by Shantanu Suri from UAE and was released on World Music Day on 21 June, celebrating cultures and inclusivity. The song and music video ''United'' was inspired by seven Emirates-wide travels of

's founders. Spira composed the song with DB Gad and Don Abdullah, featuring vocals of Shamma Hamdan, Don Abdullah (Abdullah Andeezn), Maydan Hamza and DB Gad. One year later, marking

World Wildlife Day On 20 December 2013, at its 68th session, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in itresolution UN 68/205 decided to proclaim 3 March, the international day of the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of ...

2021, the new music video and song ''Windows of the Mind'' was released. Co-written and composed by Ella Spira MBE in collaboration with DB Gad and featuring the vocals of Madyan Hamza and DB Gad, the music video was produced by Sisters Grimm. The purpose of the project was to encourage the children from UAE to connect with nature, be environmentally conscious and giving them a chance to get involved in the'
'

Art in Nature' Initiative
'. With more than 1,000 artistic submissions used in the music video
Windows of the Mind'
', the digital programme was supported by Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority. In the 2021 New Year Honours lists, Spira has been awarded an MBE for her services to International Trade and the Creative Industry as co-founder of the production company

. In October 2021, Ella's landscape painting ‘Shala River’ was gifted by Alastair King-Smith, the British Ambassador to Albania, to

Edi Rama Edi Rama (born Edvin Kristaq Rama, 4 July 1964) is an Albanian politician, painter, writer, former university lecturer, publicist and former basketball player, who has served as the 33rd and current Prime Minister of Albania since 2013 and chairm ...

, the Prime Minister of Albania, celebrating 100 years of friendship between the two countries. Spira painted the ‘Shala River’ in the

Albanian Alps The Accursed Mountains ( sq, Bjeshkët e Nemuna; sh-Cyrl-Latn, Проклетије, Prokletije, ; both translated as "Cursed Mountains"), also known as the Albanian Alps ( sq, Alpet Shqiptare), are a mountain group in the western part of the B ...

to capture the beauty of

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

's nature, providing a new environment to discuss international political relations. In the same year,

co-founder Ella Spira auctioned off a collection of 50 UAE landscape paintings, named ''50 for 50'', marking the UAE's golden jubilee, showcasing the paintings she created on her travels across the UAE. The ''50 for 50'' UAE series, unveiled at

Dubai Opera Dubai Opera is a 2,000-seat, multi-format, performing arts centre, which is located within The Opera District in Downtown Dubai. It was developed by Emaar Properties to host a variety of performances and events including theatre, opera, ballet, c ...

between 29 November -14 December 2021, was presented as a theatrical spectacle featuring ballet dance, music, and live singing. The live spectacle, named ''‘Daughters of the Wind Overture’'', was produced by

and featured co-founder and former ballerina with

Pietra Mello-Pittman as the performing protagonist. Singers Madyan Hamza and DB Gad joined the show with soaring vocals and creative lyrical writing. The ''50 for 50'' multi-sensory exhibition by Ella Spira was a celebration of the UAE's rich history, unique achievements and natural beauty. Besides showcasing a range of immersive paintings that engaged the senses through sight and sounds of creatures unique to the region blended into a musical composition, the exhibition has also promoted environmental awareness and sustainability. Every painting was accompanied by an original score which Ella has also written. Through the use of these multi-sensory elements, the exhibition aimed to inspire visitors to take action and make positive changes in their own lives and communities to protect and preserve an environment drastically transformed by industry. In January 2022, Ella Spira collaborated with the Muslim hip-hop and rap artist, DB Gad, to co-write and compose the song 'See Beyond', a music production by Sisters Grimm. The song and music video 'See Beyond' celebrates diversity and peaceful co-existence by accepting everyone’s individuality. A few months later, Ella Spira co-wrote and composed a new song, 'Life', in partnership with Australian singer and artist Corinne Gibbons, featuring aboriginal elder and activist Oswald Cruse MBE. The music video, released on the 22nd of March 2022, was part of Sisters Grimm's art project for children under 18, 'Australia Art in Nature'. Ella Spira's painting titled "Pietra in Bogor, Java" was sold at the end of July 2022 for £250,000 to Jack Tao, a Singapore-based Web3/ Metaverse investor and entrepreneur, adding to their growing landscape portfolio. The art piece depicts a banyan tree on the island of Java that occupies a special place in the gardens of Bogor. The intimate painting captures a deep calm that surrounds Ella's friend, Pietra, as she sits at the foot of the tree. The addition of this painting to their collection has brought the value of their landscape portfolio to just shy of £15 million. Between 3rd November - 5th November 2022, the ''Global Landscapes Singapore'' immersive multimedia exhibition took place at the Art Now Gallery in the Raffles Hotel Arcade, celebrating the richness of life in and around the island through the artwork of Ella Spira MBE. The art display featured six individual paintings, a series of charcoals by Spira, known for her vibrant and expressive style, and intimate photographs taken by Singaporean photographer Rebecca Toh, documenting Ella's artistic practice. A new song and music video called ''What Is It Like To Be You'', with an evocative score composed by Spira, which featured Singaporean cellist Olivia Chuang and incorporated Singapore thunderstorms and the sound of Toh's camera clicks, was also featured as part of the multi-sensory event. The works on display explored the diverse cultures and landscapes of

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

, showcasing the island's appreciation for natural resources through multimedia elements such as soundscapes, and interactive installations. The exhibition was a major success, attracting hundreds of visitors and receiving critical acclaim for its innovative approach to showcasing the artwork and photographs of Spira and Toh.

Works

Ballet and dance

*''Reves au Chemin'' (2008). Created for The Royal Ballet's Draft Works performances at the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Op ...

, Covent Garden, London. Music recorded and mixed by Bradley Kohn at

Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...

* ''Rapunzel – The Final Chapter'' (2009). Sisters Grimm ballet film; co-production with the

. Music recorded at

Air Lyndhurst Studios Associated Independent Recording (AIR) is an independent recording company founded in London in 1965 by record producer Sir George Martin and his business partner John Burgess, after their departure from Parlophone. The studio complex was founded ...

* ''Inala'' (2014). Co-composer with

Joseph Shabalala Joseph Shabalala (28 August 1940 – 11 February 2020), was a South African singer and musician who was the founder and musical director of the choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Early life and career Shabalala was born in the town of ...

; Sisters Grimm production with

and

. Music recorded at

*''Voices of the Amazon (2017).'' Co-composer with Brazilian songwriters and percussionist

; Sisters Grimm production with

as narrator and

as choreographer. *''Daughters of the Wind Overture'' (2021). Co-composer with DB Gad; Sisters Grimm production with Pietra Mello-Pittman as performing protagonist and DB Gad and Madyan Hamza as singers.

Film music

* ''The Fixer'' (2008). Co-composer with Bradley Kohn for the

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

drama series '' The Fixer''. Music recorded at Home Farm Studios, Hertfordshire *''Uncut'' (2009). ''Uncut'' is the first British feature film shot in one take and was screened at BAFTA. Music recorded at

Dean Street Studios Dean Street Studios is a commercial recording studio located at 59 Dean Street, Soho, London, England. History The premises are first known to have been used as a film studio in 1950s, which then became Zodiac Studios. The studio was bought by p ...

*''Jasmine'' (2011). A Film London short film. Screened at the 2011 BFI Film Festival

Music videos

*''Together Let Go'' (2020). Composer and co-writer with DB Gad; Lead vocals of Madyan Hamza and Arqam Al Abri; Sisters Grimm production. *''Been El Nogoom - Between The Stars'' (2020). Composer and co-writer with DB Gad; Sisters Grimm production. *''The Way Home'' (2020). Composer and co-writer with DB Gad; Lead vocals of Arqam Al-Abri and Layla Kardan; Sisters Grimm production; Filmed at

. *''United'' (2020). Composer and co-writer with DB Gad; Lead vocals of Shamma Hamdan, Don Abdullah (Abdullah Andeezn), Maydan Hamza and DB Gad; Sisters Grimm production. *''Windows of the Mind'' (2021). Composer and co-writer with DB Gad; Lead vocals of Madyan Hamza singing in Arabic and DB Gad singing in English; Sisters Grimm production. *''See Beyond(2022)''. Composer and co-writer with DB Gad; Lead vocals of Madyan Hamza and DB Gad; Sisters Grimm production. *''Life(2022)''. Composer and co-writer with Corinne Gibbons; Lead vocals of Corinne Gibbons, featuring aboriginal elder and activist Oswald Cruse MBE; Sisters Grimm production. *''What is it like to be you(2022).'' Composer and writer; featuring Singaporean cellist Olivia Chuang; Sisters Grimm production.

Remixes

In 2010, Spira began an association with Steve Smart and West Funk and worked as an arranger on club remixes for the following Top 20 UK hits: *

, "Just The Way You Are" *

, "Just a Dream" *

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...

"2012" *

"Every Little Part of Me" *

, "Shine a Light"

Art series

* ''Albania series(October 2021).'' 'Shala River’ landscape painting, created in the

in situ, gifted by Alastair King-Smith, the new British Ambassador of Albania, to Prime Minister

. * ''Gulf series(November - December 2021).'' 50 UAE landscape paintings, each accompanied by a unique musical score. World Premiere at

during the Nation’s 50th Anniversary. * ''Indonesia series(2015-2022)''. 5 landscape paintings featuring Ella Spira's friend, the co-founder of Sisters Grimm and Ex Royal Ballet dancer Pietra Mello-Pittman MBE. *''Singapore series(November 2022).'' 6 landscape paintings of Singapore and a series of charcoals, accompanied by a unique musical score and photographs of Ella taken by Singaporean Rebecca Toh. World Premiere at Art Now Gallery,

Raffles Hotel Singapore Raffles Hotel is a British colonial-style luxury hotel in Singapore. It was established by Armenian hoteliers, the Sarkies Brothers, in 1887. The hotel was named after British statesman Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singa ...

References

External links

Official website

Sisters Grimm co-founder
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spira, Ella Living people English composers Musicians from Gloucester Remixers Year of birth missing (living people) Members of the Order of the British Empire