Tanya Ekanayaka – 18 Piano Sutras & 25 South Asian Pianisms (Naxos World, 2023)
Dr. Tanya Ekanayaka, a distinguished composer-pianist, producer, and scholar of Sri Lankan-British descent, released her latest double album entitled “18 Piano Sutras & 25 South Asian Pianisms” on April 28th, 2023, under the Naxos World Label. Dr. Ekanayaka, recognized as one of the most prolific female composer-pianists globally, crafted this delighful album in 2021 and 2022 to explore the intricacies of life’s beauty, fragility, complexity, and simplicity.
The album features two masterfully-crafted collections. The first, “18 Piano Sutras,” is inspired by 18 secular songs and languages that are endangered, critically endangered, at risk, threatened, very old, or extinct, spanning six continents. In contrast, the second collection, “25 South Asian Pianisms,” comprises 25 pieces that draw inspiration from 22 languages spoken in eight nations of her home region, featuring secular songs with lyrics in those languages. The final piece of the second collection, “Ode to South Asia,” pays tribute to her cultural roots.
Exquisitely performed on a Steinway & Sons Model D piano, the album features the expertise of renowned piano technician Norman Motion. It showcases over two hours of delicate, introspective piano music that takes listeners on an immersive journey through Asia’s rich cultural tapestry.
Dr. Ekanayaka, who began studying piano at the age of five, was born and raised in Sri Lanka’s Kandyan highlands. She continued to develop her craft under the tutelage of renowned specialists from Asia, Europe, and North America. She has performed in renowned concert venues worldwide, leveraging her background in classical music, South Asian and world music, as well as her interdisciplinary training in musicology, linguistics, literature, and critical theory.
Diversity is a recurring theme in Dr. Ekanayaka’s works, which reflect on the natural world’s beauty and the depth of human emotions. Her unique style of composition involves committing each piece to memory from inception to recording, rather than writing scores. She is the first Sri Lankan composer to have entire albums of original music released worldwide by international record labels.
Dr Tanya Ekanayaka shares these thoughts on the album’s liner notes: “A slow journey, beginning in my childhood, of seeking, discernment, discovery, renewal, vision, thought, compassion, gratitude, and hope, through entangled identities, a multitude of minefields and struggles as well as many joys, much love and inner peace, lies at the very heart of my creative practice, and accordingly, at the heart of ‘18 Piano Sutras & 25 South Asian Pianisms’ comprising 43 compositions. Composed between June 2021 and March 2022, and recorded in May 2022, the compositions are inspired by 40 spectacular languages and 42 secular songs from around the world, with each song containing lyrics in one of the languages.
“Overall, my music aims to shine a light on the more beautiful as well as emotive aspects and realities of life, being and nature, and is intended for everyone. I hope that it might touch, inspire or provide solace to individuals, wherever in the world they may be. My creative practice also seeks to make the piano more inclusive: I hope that the deeply and variously multicultural character of my compositions may lead those who might not consider the piano as part of their own musical heritage to connect with this emotive instrument on a uniquely personal level.”
Buy 18 Piano Sutras & 25 South Asian Pianisms.
More about Tanya Ekanayaka.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.