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During Sault’s first live performance in London in December, there were several “wow” moments, but one soloist stood out among the rest. In the beginning of the show, a woman dressed in a beautiful white dress captivated the audience with her graceful and emotionally powerful vocal acrobatics, influenced by traditional south Asian music. She performed an improvised rendition of Monsoon’s popular song “Ever So Lonely,” inciting the audience to join in with her heartfelt lyrics, such as “If I embrace the teachings of my ancestors, let me sing.” (The audience was fully engaged and attentive.)
People were curious about the enchanting figure with a gentle yet powerful singing voice that could move even the most stoic individuals to tears. This person was Ganavya Doraiswamy, a scholar and multi-instrumentalist who was born in New York, raised in South India, and currently resides in California. She has already collaborated with jazz icons like Quincy Jones and Esperanza Spalding, and has now returned to the music scene with her own album. Doraiswamy’s mother and grandmothers taught her the traditional style of carnatic music, while her time spent on the pilgrimage trail in southern India taught her the art of storytelling. After moving back to the US, she pursued various degrees in the arts and released her first album, Aikyam: Onnu, in 2018, which features jazz classics translated into her native Tamil language.
It took six years for the Like the Sky I’ve Been Too Quiet to be released, appropriately named by Shabaka Hutchings’s label Native Rebel Recordings. The album showcases Hutchings, Floating Points, and LA multi-instrumentalist Carlos Niño, who co-produced the recent André 3000 album, along with other artists. The combination of spiritual jazz and electronic elements creates a nocturnal and alluring atmosphere for Doraiswamy’s graceful vocals. This album is undoubtedly one of the most captivating releases of the year. Let Doraiswamy’s voice mesmerize you.
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The upcoming release of “Like the Sky I’ve Been Too Quiet” will be available through Native Rebel Recordings on March 15th. Ganavya will be performing at St Pancras Old Church in London from March 13th to 15th.
Source: theguardian.com
