Description
GANAVYA, a highly accomplished vocalist who joined Vijay Iyer's Ritual Quartet and reached No. 1 on the U.S. jazz charts with a Quincy Jones-produced album, presents a rich work that connects spiritual jazz with South Indian prayer.
Born in New York and raised in Tamil Nadu, GANAVYA is a singer and multi-instrumentalist. Described by the Wall Street Journal as "one of the most compelling vocalists in modern music," she has also received high praise from The Guardian. She sang with Vijay Iyer's Ritual Quartet and performed as a soloist on Quincy Jones's "Tocororo," which reached No. 1 on the jazz charts. She is also the author and singer of the first Tamil-language work to win a Latin Grammy.
This album, "Daughter of a Temple," was created starting with a ritual gathering held in Houston. More than 30 artists participated, including esperanza spalding, Vijay Iyer, Shabaka Hutchings, Immanuel Wilkins, and Peter Sellars. Ryan Renteria handled the recording, while Nils Frahm was responsible for editing and mixing at LEITER Studios in Berlin.
The music centers on spiritual jazz and South Asian devotional music. Sustained drone sounds, piano and saxophone improvisations, and quiet percussion layer together, with GANAVYA's voice resonating like a prayer at the center. The melodies are delicate, but the emotional core is powerful. Rather than flashy developments, it is music that delves deep into the inner self.
On her previous album, "like the sky I’ve been too quiet," she collaborated with Shabaka Hutchings and Floating Points, working across jazz and experimental music. On this album as well, she transcends genre boundaries while naturally connecting tradition and improvisation. It is a highly spiritual work that harbors strength within stillness.
1. A Love Chant (feat. esperanza spalding)
2. Om Supreme (feat. Vijay Iyer & Immanuel Wilkins)
3. Prema Muditha (feat. Shabaka Hutchings)
4. Elders Wayne and Carolina
5. Om Namah Sivaya (feat. Charles Overton & Ganesan Doraiswamy)
6. Journey in Satchidananda / Ghana Nila
7. A Love Supreme, Part 1: Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith
8. A Love Supreme, Part 2: Peter Sellars (feat. Peter Sellars)
9. A Love Supreme, Part 3: Alice Coltrane
10. A Love Supreme, Part 4: IONE (feat. IONE)
Described by the Wall Street Journal as “one of modern music’s most compelling vocalists,” New York-born and Tamil Nadu-raised singer and multi-instrumentalist GANAVYA has announced details of her new album, "Daughter of a Temple*", set to be released on November 15, 2024. The album follows her performance at SAULT’s acclaimed live debut in London in 2023, where, according to The Guardian, her “voice had a delicate emotive heft that could turn stoics into sobbing wrecks.” Her first single for LEITER, "draw something beautiful," was released earlier this year in July.
For "Daughter of a Temple", GANAVYA invited over 30 artists from various disciplines to a ritual gathering in Houston. Consequently, the album features numerous contributors, including renowned musicians such as esperanza spalding, Vijay Iyer, Shabaka Hutchings, Immanuel Wilkins, and Peter Sellars. The results—an innovative and deeply moving blend of spiritual jazz and South Asian devotional music—were initially recorded by Ryan Renteria and then further edited and mixed by Nils Frahm at LEITER's studio in Berlin in 2024.
GANAVYA is the author and singer of the first Tamil text to win a Latin Grammy. She was a vocalist in Vijay Iyer’s Ritual Quartet and the soloist on Quincy Jones-produced „Tocororo", which reached No. 1 on the Jazz Charts. Her most recent album, "like the sky I’ve been too quiet", was recorded with Shabaka Hutchings and features guests like Floating Points, Tom Herbert, Carlos Niño, and Leafcutter John.
