Born in Japan in 1959, Shree's parents gave her the name ‘Mariko’, which in Kanji (Chinese characters) means, "a child or seeker of truth." It seems that this name planted a question within her at very young and tender age: "What is the authentic and ultimate state of freedom?"
This question eventually caused Shree to set out from Japan to travel, finally leading her to India. She intuitively felt that somehow, the solution was in India. Her life in India started like this in 1986.
India is full of inspiration for Shree. The North Indian music called Dhrupad, which is the oldest living form of Classical Indian music, had deeply stirred her soul. She started her vocal training in 1992 with Dr. Ritwik Sanyal of Benares Hindu University, a prominent vocalist and guru (master) of Dagar style Dhrupad singing.
This profound music from ancient times had ignited Shree's spiritual quest. Inspired by Vedantic poems and Yogic singing exercises of Dhrupad, a desire to find a spiritual master arose in her heart. She then discovered the Jnana Yoga of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi in Tiruvannamalai, and immediately felt the conviction that this is her path.
In 2008, she received a new Sanskrit name, ‘Shree’ (which means "Holy") from Mooji, a Jamaican-born Advaita Vedanta teacher.
Shree has recently begun visiting her guru’s guru of Dhrupad singing, Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar, as well as his nephew, Ustad Mohi Bahauddin Dagar, a Rudra Veena player. This journey has joined her music and spiritual path, for Ustad-ji said that Dhrupad itself is a path of Jnana Yoga, a quest to find out ‘Who I Am.’
Shree was living and singing at the feet of Holy Arunachala Mountain in Tiruvannamalai till March 2013. Now she lives in Japan and is presenting concerts and voice workshops.
