New York based Miriam Waks made her performing debut at the tender age of 10 singing solo at the Sydney Opera House. Since that time she has developed into a highly original artist and vibrant performer who sings in 17 languages and a plethora of musical styles. She has performed at venues and residencies across the globe including New York, Buenos Aires, France, Cuba, Edinburgh, London, Italy, Brussels, India, Macau, Hong Kong & Australia.

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In 2023 Miriam recieved a Masters (MA) in Songwriting & Music Production. She now performs and releases her self-produced original under the new artist name kol isha. In Hebrew, kol isha means "a woman's voice". Miriam has chosen this artist name as a symbolic rebirth. It is a statement and celebration of finding her true voice as an artist and woman, simultaneously honouring her Jewish heritage while critiquing elements of its politics, practices, and traditions. These songs explore issues close to her heart, including: spirituality, mythology, feminism, sex, technology, religion, and climate change. kol isha's music is genre-defying, and incorporates a range of musical styles including: EDM, pop, world, experimental, blues, hip-hop, and new-age.  

 

Miriam collaborated with her husband, pianist extraordinaire Alberto Pibiri for the intimate jazz/world duo album So Many Stars. She was the featured vocalist on arranger/guitar Andrew Green's Dime Dancing, released by Shifting Paradigm Records late-2020. Dime Dancing is a collection of eight songs from the classic 1970s era discography of Steely Dan, arranged and reimagined by Green. It includes strings, woodwinds and acoustic guitar, with each ensemble unique in instrumentation and style, while maintaining a firm connection to the sources’ pop/rock roots. Influences range from classical to gamelan, salsa, Brasilian, early jazz, bluegrass and even a hint of electronica.

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2018 saw Miriam release her first originals album, Tales from a Room. Recorded in Nashville and New York, Tales from a Room features 11 songs penned by Miriam, marking her transition from song-interpreter to song-writer. In this album, Miriam traverses a wide range of musical and thematic landscapes including re-interpreting the feminist writings of Virginia Woolf, assuming the mythical identity of Achille’s lover Patroclus, and playfully poking fun at her own “whiteness”.

 

Miriam's other original music projects including experimental electronic music duo Metabards whose debut EP was described by the Huffington Post as "Full of mystique, potent soundscapes, and.. profound lyricism, (they) have tapped into a sonic spirituality that travels beyond the confines of stereotypical electronic music."  Miriam’s comedic abilities are on full display through her alter-ego Mimi LaRue, whose satirical songs and music video performances have gained rave reviews and a YouTube troll.

 

Miriam was featured vocalist & MC with Cuban modern dance company Danza Del Caribe (Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2015 Full Season) with whom she performed the iconic Cuban dance piece Sulkary (sung in Yoruba). She is a MO and ACE Award nominee and was a recipient of the TDP Bound for Broadway Scholarship.

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Miriam performs with various outfits in NYC and is thankful to live in a place that nurtures the creative passion of so many artists.