Shessi Sandu
TEACHING
Yessica (Shessi Sandu) Rostan is a biocultural arts and sciences educator and consultant. Centering the connections between humans and nature Yessi works with children, youth, and intergenerational groups to create learning spaces for healthier, more resilient people, communities, and biomes. Shessi hosts talks. performances, and workshops, and develops programming using biocultural pedagogy. Shessi aims to get participants to reflect on their own cultural and place-based biocultures. Shessi holds a BSc in Biological Sciences, English and Spanish Literature, as well as an MA in Social Justice Education.
MUSIC
Shessi Sandu is a singer-songwriter, pianist/keyboardist and percussionist. Shessi has been writing songs on piano since age 12, writing lyrics in both Spanish and English.
As a percussionist, Shessi has performed Afro-Uruguayan candombe, playing the piano candombe drum during carnavals in Uruguay. From 2013 to 2018, she performed samba reggae, playing surdo and repenique drums with Toronto Afro-Brazilian batucada band T.dot Batu, directed by Mestre Patricio "Pato" Irie. With T.dot Batu, Shessi has performed in musical collaborations city-wide at venues including the Royal Ontario Museum, Muhtadi International Drumming Festival, Toronto Jazz Festival, and Lula Lounge.
In September 2019, Shessi released her first single, Hold It Together, which she debuted performing at the Toronto #YouthClimateStrike at Queens Park on September 20th, 2019 with Fridays For Future Toronto.
In March 2019, Shessi Sandu featured on released single Dreams Comes True, written by Toronto Slam Poetry Champion, Spin el Poeta, and produced by Errol Starr Francis.
LOCATION
Born in Paysandu, Uruguay and raised in Toronto, Yessi's work is reflective of her learnings of biocultura, migration, health, living, identity, and social justice. Yessi lives entre norte y sur (between north and south) and collaborates with people across the globe.
