In the early 1990s, he studied upright bass at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City. Deeply influenced by teachers Makanda Ken McIntyre, Arnie Lawrence and Reggie Workman (John Coltrane, Art Blakey), Eliyahu began performing as a sideman and bandleader in renowned jazz clubs such as The Village Gate and Small's.

In the years that followed, Eliyahu fell in love with the flute and applied the musical theory that he learned through his jazz studies to teach himself this most ancient of instruments. After falling under the spell of the Sufi music of Turkey, he became a devoted student of both the ney and the bansuri. He has since continued to study and perform these ancient instruments under the guidance of his teacher, bansuri master G.S. Sachdev, to whom he is a devoted student.

Eliyahu has spent time in Istanbul, studying the traditions and nuances of the nay. During his journeys there, he has had the opportunity to study under masters Neyzen Omer Erdogdular and Neyzen Ahmet Kaya. In 2008 he returned to Turkey, continuing his musical development under his Turkish teachers guidance.

Eliyahu's mastery of musical styles spans the globe. He has performed and recorded traditional spiritual music of the Middle East with Za'atar, West African folk music with the Palm Wine Boys, soul roots reggae with the Original Intentions, and acoustic soul with Sparlha Swa. Recently, he has been making music with Ethiopian born jazz/soul vocalist Meklit Hadero, North African trance with Hamsa Lila, recorded devotional music with Shimshai, and toured with Rupa & the April Fishes, and with oudist/composer Yuval Ron.

About The Qadim Ensemble:

Led by neyzen and peacemaker Eliyahu Sills, the innovative cross-cultural group of Middle Eastern musicians from Arabic, Armenian, Indian, Iranian, Jewish and Moroccan traditions promotes peace by celebrating the common musical heritage of the embattled region's ancient spiritual cultures.

Qadim features Rachel Valfer on vocals, Middle Eastern lute (oud) and persian stick fiddle (kemanche), Faisal Zedan on Arabic percussion (darbukkah, riqq, & frame drum) and vocals, John Villa on Indian tablas and frame drums, and Eliyahu Sills on the Middle Eastern reed flute (ney), Indian bamboo flute (bansuri), Turkish lute (saz), and vocals.

Acclaimed for their passionate performances, Qadim (pronounced ka-deem) is comprised of an ensemble of accomplished and acclaimed musicians. The San Francisco Bay Area-based group has attracted a growing global audience who are responding to their authentic musicianship and timely message. Durme Durme, a track from the group's debut CD, Songs of Qadim, was recently featured on Mediterraneo by Difference Music, an internationally distributed 4-CD set of 73 traditional and modern Mediterranean songs and 200-page hard-bound book showcasing the region's history, geography and culture. The track Ya Adili Bilah can be heard on Petrol Records new collector's edition compilation Arabia: The Greatest Songs Ever.

Eastern Wind