Doraiswamy An upcoming talent to keep an eye on: Ganavya Doraiswamy

Of the many “wow” moments during Sault’s debut live show in London last December, one soloist floored everyone. Early in the evening, a woman in an ethereal white dress, alone under the spotlights, unleashed elegant, deeply moving vocal acrobatics that drew on south Asian classical traditions. She was performing a version of Monsoon’s 1982 UK hit Ever So Lonely, with improvised lyrics such as: “If I stand/ In the lessons of my mothers/ Let me sing.” (The audience did, with full attention.)

Some people were curious about the captivating person with a soft but powerful voice that could bring even the most reserved individuals to tears. This person is Ganavya Doraiswamy, a New York-born, California-based scholar and musician who was raised in South India. Although she has worked on an album with Quincy Jones and collaborated with well-known jazz artists like Esperanza Spalding, she is now focusing on her own solo album. Doraiswamy learned carnatic music from her mother and grandmothers and also developed skills in storytelling during her childhood living along the pilgrimage route in southern India. After returning to the US, she pursued multiple degrees in the arts and released her first album, Aikyam: Onnu, in 2018. This album included jazz songs translated into Tamil, her native language.

It took six years for the album, appropriately named Like the Sky I’ve Been Too Quiet, to be released. It was released on Shabaka Hutchings’s label Native Rebel Recordings and includes collaborations with Hutchings, Floating Points, and LA multi-instrumentalist Carlos Niño, who co-produced the recent André 3000 album, among others. The album combines elements of spiritual jazz and electronic music to create a moody, atmospheric setting for Doraiswamy’s vocals to gracefully move through. It is a highly emotive album and a must-listen for the year. Truly, let her sing.