Donna Delory

• On & On.mp3

Best known as a background singer and dancer for Madonna

Donna De Lory is a singer, dancer and songwriter. Part of a musical family, De Lory has been performing since a very young age. Her voice can be heard on albums by Carly Simon, Ray Parker, Jr., Kim Carnes, Santana, and Madonna, the latter with whom De Lory accompanied on every single concert since the “Who’s that Girl” tour in the late 1980s.

De Lory’s latest venture is The Lover & The Beloved, a Sanskrit & English CD released on Ajna Music, a record label emerging as a leader in the metro-spiritual music genre. While a collection of ancient Indian mantras set to modern beats may seem like a departure, for De Lory, this seamless blend of east and west, devotion and pop, is just the next bold step in her continuing musical evolution.

“In English, I write about relationships, but when I sing in Sanskrit it’s more about spirit and what is beyond words,” she explains. “It’s great to not have to follow a certain form, like you do in pop. There are no rules for this type of music.” After traveling the globe in support of her self-titled MCA debut, Donna’s pop and world influences took root in her collaboration with cellist, Cameron Stone. Together they formed a beautiful musical hybrid and began creating albums such as Bliss and In the Glow. De Lory was surprised to find fans of her new sound in unusual places, including yoga centers.

“It felt really free,” she said. “When you play in a space like that, the people are so into the music. They want to be taken away. They’re closing their eyes. They’re letting go and really listening.” These performances, coupled with De Lory’s burgeoning yoga practice, led her further in the direction of devotional music. Soon she found herself adding Sanskrit chants to her songs and performance repertoire, hence, the inception of The Lover & The Beloved. “Playing music helps me get away from my personality and my mind and allows me to just be,” said De Lory.

“I realize that being able to do this is a gift. If I can inspire people or help with their healing, if I can help them appreciate the people they love more or get in touch with their own bliss, then I’ve done what I’m here to do.”

The DeLory family is well-known in the music business: Donna is the daughter of musician/producer/arranger Al DeLory, who was responsible, among other things, for Glenn Campbell’s three-album “golden era” on Capitol records.

Donna performs Elise’s theme, “My Destiny”, in the 2006 game