“Forgive Me My” by the talented South-Asian Vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer, Ganavya presents a mesmerizing combination of vocals and instruments. It’s out now on Shabaka Hutchings’ Native Rebel Recordings label.
Ganavya’s artistic journey is a fascinating one. Growing up in South India and later settling in New York, her unique and visionary approach to music has drawn admiration from jazz legends like Quincy Jones, Wayne Shorter, and Esperanza Spalding.
Inspired by the profound words of Nigerian author Teju Cole, the song “Forgive Me My” was born during the pandemic. This track features the enchanting harpist Alina Bzhezhinska, and it comes with a heartwarming video highlighting precious moments of affection shared among Ganavya’s friends and family. From dancing and praying together to braiding hair and offering foot massages, it’s a beautiful portrayal of love and togetherness.
The recording process of “Forgive Me My” was an intimate and intense experience, lasting three days under the guidance of the talented Shabaka Hutchings. The sessions were largely improvised, with little pre-planning, allowing the magic of the moment to shine through.
Ganavya was featured as a solo vocalist on Esperanza Spalding’s Grammy-winning album Songwrights Apothecary Lab; contributed to Wayne Shorter’s opera “Iphigenia,” and collaborated on Quincy Jones’ production, Tocororo.
Despite not pursuing a conventional path, she holds degrees in theater and psychology, with graduate degrees in Contemporary Performance, ethnomusicology, and Creative Practice and Critical Inquiry. Her diverse academic background adds depth to her musical expressions.
Ganavya 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. During this time, I composed the song from Nigerian author Teju Cole’s words: “forgive me my forgetfulness, no one can forget gentleness.” Cole’s text was a reflection on death, on someone he had lost. I sang this to many people, a reflection of what remains in the aftermath of human loss. It was the beginning of me singing in English, born from the promise that I would sing to anyone who asked me to, in a language they understood.”
Buy Forgive Me My.
Author: World Music Central News Room
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