Shanta Nurullah
Shanta Nurullah makes music primarily on sitar, bass, and mbira, and works as a storyteller and teaching artist. She has been performing professionally as a musician since 1972 and as a storyteller since 1978. She co-founded two all-women’s groups, Sojourner and Samana, and currently leads the ensemble, Sitarsys.
A member of the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians), Shanta has received an Artist Fellowship from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a Lifetime Achievement Award from M3/Mutual Mentorship for Musicians and the Zora Neale Hurston Award from the National Association of Black Storytellers. She has performed in venues across the country, distinguishing herself as a sitarist and bassist exploring African American improvisational music. Her recent collaborations include "Homeward" with Mandala Arts and "Love" with D-Composed String Ensemble. Shanta teaches in the early childhood program at the Old Town School of Folk Music and is an advocate for women in music.
Featured Artworks
Band at Hey Nonny Jan 2025
Photo by Paul Araki Elliott
Shanta with Mbira at Monday Night Jazz
Green Line Performing Arts Center, Chicago
Photo by Ken Hester
Photo by Rose Blouin
Photo by Rose Blouin
Shanta with Sitar and the AACM Great Black Music Ensemble
Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park, Chicago
Photo by Lauren Deutsch
M3 Award Ceremony
Photo by Tony Smith
Photo by Paul Araki Elliott
Shanta Nurullah has crowd-funded a project with 3AP
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- $0 raised of $6,000 goal
- 43 Days 19:14:18 LEFT
I’m excited about Om Mission! It’s a blend of theatre and storytelling that explores lesbian history, Chicago history and the love story of two Black women, me and my wife: Zahra Baker. When we performed it last summer at the …
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