Michelle Masiwemai (Empress Ellehcim)

Featured in episode 4 , episode 18, and composer of the music theme for The Creativity Roots Podcast

Michelle (aka Empress Ellehcim) is a multi-talented Micronesian artist, singer, and performer. She composes and performs music and dances that are, as she describes it herself, an eclectic mixture of her strong Micronesian roots and the influence of the different cultures and situations that she has been in contact with through her life experiences. Her tunes are a beautiful combination of aboriginal rhythms with several real-life sounds or instruments in a bed of electronic music that together creates interesting and sticky melodies. All spiced up with her strong and soothing voice.

At the moment Michelle is working on an album called Desert and Mountains and it’s inspired by the beautiful desertland and mountains I see here in Las Cruces. I recently moved to this beautiful city, and with new beginnings come new struggles, so this album is my way of finding the beauty in chaos and struggle.