ganavya Talks New Album, Instruments And More

South-Asian vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer ganavya has released her new studio album ‘like the sky, I’ve been too quiet’ via Shabaka Hutchings’ Native Rebel Recordings. We wanted to talk to her about the album and she kindly chatted to us:

How did you want to approach the making the album? 

Like a good meal made for and with people you love. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but the love was always there— and the gathering.

Where did you record it and who produced it? 

Shabaka Hutchings, at Livingston Studios.

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions? 

Mmm. Well, the harpist— Alina— arrived sometime in the afternoon. I told her of a song I’d been singing for a while called “forgive me my.” I described, we talked about the form, and then we recorded the first take. Shabaka looked at us and shrugged: “I think we got it!” I laughed out loud, but everyone was quiet. Alina protested a bit, she said she had driven the whole way, that maybe we should do another take? And Shabaka shrugged again: “well, I mean, I think we got it. We don’t have to do it again just for the sake of it.” There’s a lot to be said about that one thing Shabaka said. Well, there’s a lot to be said about Shabaka. But today, this is the first memory that comes to mind. That, and Sam (Floating Points) being really sweet and excited to play with John (Leafcutter)— you see the actual beauty of community in these moments. We made an album, yes, but more importantly we gathered to make music, to just play with each other. Like a village. 

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words? 

I don’t have a hometown. I guess that’s exactly five words. 

Your single ‘el kebda, let it go’ is out now. What was the story/inspiration behind the track? 

I was genuinely singing the words to myself: to let it go. Something cruel had just happened, and I was asking my heart to let it go. The title comes from Shabaka’s partner, Marwa Belghazi’s family. In Morocco, they don’t say “my heart is leaving” when someone beloved is leaving— they they “el kebda” which means “the liver.” This makes sense to me. This wail, I understand. Sometimes, the heart isn’t enough to describe the pain of loss. 

How do you look after your voice? 

Ha! Great question. Was it for a Smithsonian article that I answered this before? Barely do people ask this question. I’ll tell you the same thing I told them: I notoriously don’t. No warm up, no cool down, no warm water, no avoiding of dairy. It takes a lot to tire my voice, though these days I am starting to toe that line too uncomfortably. I’m writing to you from the train, just walking out rehearsals that were north of 10 hours long for an upcoming opera, getting to St Pancras Station at 6:30 from France for a 6:30pm soundcheck, 8pm show— we’ll see. But I just saw a video of my grandmother’s sister playing the veena the other day, at 99 years of age— what can I complain about? It’s all okay. 

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, pedals, effects, microphones? 

No. Just favored states of minds. Put a kitchen bowl with grains in front of me at the right moment and it will sing. Give me an orchestra— and if I’m not spiritually sound— it’ll sound empty. 

What kind of music do you like listening to? Do you have any recommendations? 

Rajna Swaminathan’s Communitas from Of Agency and Abstraction, Samora Pinderhughes’s Gatsby. Les Filles de Illighadad. Mmmm… Formwela 4 by esperanza spalding. I like listening to music that sounds like it’s being made on someone’s front porch, or someone’s living room, as we sing to ourselves, among ourselves… my favourite music— pop, so called jazz, classical music— all of my favourite music sounds like folk music at heart. 

What makes ganavya happy and what makes you unhappy?

Love, and our still-learning of the grammar love. What makes you happy and unhappy?

Feature Image Photo Credit: Ricky Weaver

‘like the sky, I’ve been too quiet’ is out now via Native Rebel Recordings. 

Native Rebel Recordings: https://nativerebelrecordings.co.uk/artists/ganavya/ 

Bandcamp: https://ganavya.bandcamp.com/album/like-the-sky-ive-been-too-quiet 

For more information visit her official website here: https://www.ganavya.com/home