Internationally acclaimed vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer Ganavya is all set to bring together her diverse universe of sounds in a brand new single ‘Forgive Me My’, which was released on Shabaka Hutchings’ label Native Rebel Recordings, on 21st of July.
Born in New York and raised in South India, Ganavya’s visionary, otherworldly approach has caught the attention of the likes of Quincy Jones, Wayne Shorter and Esperanza Spalding, and marks her out as a singular exponent of spiritual music. Conceived during the pandemic, ‘Forgive Me My’ was inspired by Nigerian author Teju Cole’s words, “Forgive me my forgetfulness, no one can forget gentleness”, a text reflecting on death.
Talking about her song, she says, “‘Forgive Me My’ was born when I took to social media to explain the spiritual and pilgrimage tradition I came from, where pilgrims would make songs of poetry to get through walking long days. I offered to make songs of any poems or lines that people loved, and started singing to many people who wrote to me.”
Ganavya recently featured as a solo vocalist on Esperanza Spalding’s Songwrights Apothecary Lab, which received a Grammy Award for ‘Best Jazz Vocal’, as well as contributing to Wayne Shorter’s opera Iphigenia, and guesting on the Quincy Jones-produced track Tocororo.
