Aug 15, 2018
Mona Tavakoli is a drummer and percussionist based in Los Angeles
whose mission is to make music that unites, elevates, and connects.
Mona is widely known for her work with Jason Mraz who Mona has
recorded and performed with world-wide for almost a decade.
Mona started playing drums age 11 with the high school band and
began her professional music career 1999 at UCLA after forming the
band Raining Jane. Raining Jane wrote and recorded YES! (Atlantic
Records) with Jason Mraz and went on to tour the record
internationally for almost two years.
Mona toured worldwide for Mraz’s 2012 album, Love is a Four Letter
Word, and they performed together as a duo on TV shows including
The Today Show, The David Letterman Show, Ellen, Dancing with the
Stars, and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. As the Duo Decibel System,
Mona (percussion) and Mraz (guitar/vocals) have performed in
Antarctica in support of climate change awareness and they were
proud to help honor Ellen Degeneres as she received the Mark Twain
Prize for American Humor at The Kennedy Center.
In other work, Mona has appeared on A&E’s Private Sessions,
where she performed as a trio with Pat Benatar and her husband,
Spyder Giraldo. She has been the featured percussionist with the
Pasadena muse/ique orchestra (led by maestra Rachel Worby), and
played with musicians such as Andy Grammer, Colbie Caillat, Keaton
Simons, Lindsay Mac, Lucy Schwartz, Natalia Zukerman, Sara
Bareilles, Tristan Prettyman and Willy Porter.
Mona recently traveled to Africa with the U.S. State Department as
a cultural diplomat alongside Chaska Potter and Natalia Zukerman.
As the Northern Lights trio they visited Tanzania, Zambia,
Mozambique and Malawi for concerts and workshop facilitation
focusing on women’s entrepreneurship and empowerment.
Mona has been featured in DRUM!, Tom Tom Magazine, judged and
hosted the Hit Like A Girl drum contest and awards show and is the
recipient of the 2016 She Rocks awards “Inspire Award” for her work
with the Rock n’ Roll Camp for Girls.
Endorsements: DW Drums and Hardware, Latin Percussion, Remo
Percussion, Roland Electronic Percussion, Sabian Cymbals,
Sennheiser Microphones and Vater Percussion.
Links: Website: monatavakoli.com
Instagram: instagram.com/mona_tavakoli
FaceBook: facebook.com/MONA.TAVAKOLI.DRUMMER
Twitter: twitter.com/mona_tavakoli