There is more than one artist with this name: 1. Ishta Ishta is a musical collaboration - to express the spiritual journey of life and the movement of society towards its greatest potential. Origins: Formed by Last.fm member, Premasagar, the Ishta project has taken on different forms at different times. The single album available on Last.fm is an acoustic set from Manchester, UK in 2003. The Songs: Ishta's songs have a fusion of styles: folky, bluesy, funky, devotional, soulful and influenced by world music. Sometimes described as 'transcendental pop'. premasagar.com/music/ includes song lyrics. Band Members: On the "Live in Manchester" album: - Premasagar: Lead vocals & rhythm guitar - Steve: Lead guitar, bass & backing vocals - Marie: Clarinet, saxophone, flute & backing vocals - Sandeep: Tabla 2. Ishta (New Zealand) Ishta was a collective based in Aotearoa/New Zealand but consisting of an international lineup which was reflected by their unique ethnic groove sound. Featuring tabla, sitar, bass, hand percussion, flute, didge and vocals their live sets encompassed a diverse range of styles from uptempo global dance music to blissful lounge. Ishta's sound evolved into an uplifting blend of Eastern and Western influences with the funky bass grooves of Monsieur Escargot (The Mamaku Project), soulful sitar playing by Rob Croft (An Emerald City), stirring flute arrangements by Stijn te Straka, virtuosic tabla playing by Basant Madhur and the soaring, sensual vocals of Josephine Costain and Tui Mamaki (The Mamaku Project). During the four years the band was together, they toured New Zealand several times and were firm favourites at outdoor festivals around the country. In 2004 following the release of their debut album, the band disbanded to follow individual recording projects. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.