Ch'Lu

Biography

Ch'Lu is a polyglot polymath. An eclectic ‘Artist of the Renaissance’, she entices, inspires and transforms, with a Zeitgeist fusion of ethereal harmonies and relatable, multi-lingual lyrics; blended with classical guitar arpeggiation, hypnotic beats and binaural field recordings. Both bewitching Ninja and entertaining Chanteuse, her signature Art-Pop sound is fuelled by her desire to expand consciousness. 

Of Romanian/British parentage, Ch'Lu, (formerly Camilla Mathias), trained in classical guitar and multiple instruments from a young age, supported by a Buckinghamshire County Scholarship; in classical singing with the late John Dalby and as an actor at the Central School of Speech & Drama, and by invitation at the Atelier Raymond-Girard, Paris. In addition, she has a solid foundation as a Vedic mantra meditation teacher, various martial arts and a growing list of languages. Ch'Lu has been streamed in several hundred different cities worldwide, has to date performed in twenty-three countries and composed and performed in thirteen languages. 

Ch’Lu was proud to recently perform alongside Errollyn Wallen CBE (Master of the King’s Music) and Mike Lindup (Level 42 at the PRS Members Fund 90th Anniversary celebration at London’s OXO.

‘Where Venus Meets Mars’ is Ch’Lu’s most recent self-produced release. It’s an evocative meeting of male and female forces on the battlefield, composed for Ch’Lu’s first ever ninja-pole performance (pole-dancing with samurai swords and nunchaku) October 2024 in the UK. This was actually a World First, the build-up to which was covered by the BBC (more info: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/chlu/where-venus-meets-mars)

BBC6 Music DJ Tom Robinson’s Fresh on the Net picked four tracks from Ch’Lu’s latest self-produced album "The Goddess Within"*, for the Eclectic Picks and have her as a guest curator. Funded by Arts Council of England and Help Musicians UK, the album is an organica soundscape fusing Sanskrit vocals, classical guitar, binaural field- recordings and an electronic underscore, released in 2023 in honour of Global Wellness Day. Under her Noroc label, Ch'Lu self-recorded and produced the sound medicine album in her home-studio, and celebrated it's launch with a unique night at London's Piano Smithfield. 

Ch’Lu self-produced a tribute single ‘Beyond Words' in response to the murder of her cousins in Israel last October, continues to raise funds for their surviving children and community. Her painfully honest and relatable song about dating apps: "I'm Not The Type To Sit And Swipe" has led to Ch’Lu being shortlisted for the UK Musical Comedy Awards 2025, Best Music Video Finalist at Mexico’s Puerta Aventuras International Film Festival, awarded Second Place at the Lit Laughs International Comedy Film Festival for Best Mobile Film and was also Finalist for Funniest Music Video at the Portland Comedy Film Festival. 

Ch'Lu's self-produced provocative debut music video Don't won The Honourable Mention Award at the New York International Film Awards as well as placing Ch’Lu as a Best Actress Finalist; aired as Switzerland‘s La Télé channel’s Music Video of the Month, won Funniest Music Video at the Portland Comedy Film Awards, has had five other Best Music Video wins, seventeen further nominations and is the closing music in TV comedy series Batshit. Ch'Lu's most-downloaded track Time That is Mine was awarded the Grand Jury Prize as Best Song at the New York International Film Awards and has been chosen as theme-tune for the film The Litter Mermaid. 

Other music career highlights include being hosted by BBC6 Music’s Chris Hawkins, recording with film composer Yann McCullough (Spectre:Bond, Grand Hotel Budapest), contributing guitar to Channel Four’s Award-winning Unreported World series, and composing and performing her OFFIE nominated music in the recent London stage adaptation of Lorca’s Blood Wedding directed by George Richmond-Scott (Associate Director on hit musical Everyone’s Talking About Jamie). Finally, Ch’Lu’s Romanian-Language track Sunt Romanca was selected for charity album Mitra Music for Nepal, produced by Annie Hogan (Marc Almond). 

Ch’Lu has played gigs in many contrasting venues, from London’s notorious Notting Hill Arts Club and Coronet to the east-end’s Cat & Mutton hosted by BBC6 Music DJ Chris Hawkins supporting Virginia Labuat, and The Dollhouse supporting Revolver; to Stoke Newington’s Old Church and numerous west-end private members clubs (including opening the Hurlingham Club’s Time & Leisure Magazine Food & Culture Awards and debut album launch at The Hospital). She was also a guest twice on Chris Difford (Squeeze)’s Saturday Night Song Club (on Zoom) during the pandemic. 

Outside the UK some of her favourite gigs include: Dublin’s Grand Social supporting Madeleine Peyroux, Rockwood Music Hall (NYC), ONO (Bern), Abseits (Zurich) supporting Pablo Nouvelle, FNAC (Lausanne), Culture Rapide (Paris) and Mutuo Centro De Arte (Barcelona). Additionally, Ch’Lu takes virtual global audiences of hundreds on a weekly transformational journey via her “Ch’Lu Campfire' live-streams on the world's largest meditation app - Insight Timer. She has amassed a faithful following, bursting catalogue and delightful reviews in a small space of time. 

Ch'Lu’s work as an actress is currently keeping her in comedy, from the central role in new sitcom Baggage (which she co-created with her sister, Lorelei Mathias) to the forthcoming Creative Writing 2.1 (Best Comedy Runner-up Funny Women Awards 2022, Comedy Crowd Winner 2023, Brighton Fringe Flicks Official Selection 2024) from Melon Comedy. Other work has included US FOX TV crime series Jo, opposite Jean Reno, the darkly comic In The Mix ( directed by Denis Lawson), which premiered at the BFI and The Witches at the Wyndham's West End opposite Ruby Wax. She also had the central role written for her in Marco Ghelardi's award-winning Italian-language production of Di Come Savona Ebbe Il Suo Teatro and starred in the recent Spanish/US action/thriller Escape From Marwin. Ch'Lu's voice takes on many guises, from lead role of Princess Nura in forthcoming Spanish/German feature animation The Light Of Aisha, to Chinese animation series Emmy & Goo Roo, to Sci-Fi audiobooks Manhattan In Reverse to the latest Puro Earth campaigns. 

Another passion of Ch'Lu's is painting, so look out for her artwork within her music releases, commissions and online store of over 130 products. She also features in new German-language non-fiction Zwei Kartoffeln in Laos, by Tanja Weidner and has a few sets of lyrics published in the London Society Club Poetry Anthology.

* At the heart of “The Goddess Within" album are the ancient Sanskrit texts of the Mandukya Upanishads, which create the experience and journey of “Om” (Aum). It is the vibration of the universe and all things living, returning the nervous system to a place full of potential, releasing stress, toxins and negativity. Ch’Lu has been studying Sanskrit for the last thirteen years, and like NASA, believes it is the ultimate language for inter-dimensional communication. Indeed the name Ch’Lu (pronounced 'Choo LOO') is itself derived from Sanskrit, given to Ch’Lu by her Jyotish (Vedic Astrology) mentor to power and support her creative and performance work moving forward. Her artistic direction is intuited by the energy of “Ch’Lu”. 

As ninja warrior and artist, Ch’Lu wants to entertain you into feeling less alone, anxious or stressed ,and more like the best version of yourself:connected, fulfilled and eager to get out of bed each day. 

Hear the vibe. See the light. Feel the warmth. 

Be part of the spreading flame as your heart smiles. 

Composer Website