Sandhya Sanjana
Encyclopedia
Sandhya Sanjana; is a singer born in Mumbai
, India
. She is one of the first Indian singers to have experimented with fusing Indian classical
vocals with various other western contemporary styles. Her career began at a young age and she has appeared on over 30 albums, covering various genres. She is a performing artist who combines her experience as a jazz
/funk
/rock
vocalist with an understanding of Indian music
– classical and contemporary
– to bridge cultures.
as Sandhya Golikeri to Shaila and Ramdas Golikeri in a Saraswat Brahmin
family. She is the eldest of four daughters. She learnt her first songs from her mother (née Sunanda Nadkarni) who was a singer and had performed on Radio Dharwad. As her mother worked, at the age of five, she moved to New Delhi
and was raised by her uncle and aunt. Her uncle got her performing on stage singing pop songs
and Indian devotional
songs. At about seven years of age, she started learning Indian classical
singing from an elderly relative, Maitrayini Mundkur. Ms. Mundkur would compose the texts of great saint poets with Indian classical raga
s. Each piece was based on a single raga
and taught the essence of a raga
in a nutshell. Sandhya sang a devotional song for a children’s programme on Radio Ceylon. She won many singing competitions as a young girl in the Saraswat colony – Talmaki Wadi. At the age of ten, she started studying Hindustani classical
singing from Sita Hirebet, an exponent of the Kirana gharana
and a student of Gangubai Hangal
. Then she moved back to Mumbai
and graduated from Elphinstone College
in English Literature
and Psychology
. She also simultaneously studied at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
, under Dinkar and Shashikala Kaikini of the Agra gharana
. Later she studied with Pt. Govind Prasad Jaipurwale until he died in 1987.
/blues
groups in Bombay, New Delhi
and Kolkata
. When she met Dinshah Sanjana, he had studied classical piano
and was just entering the world of Indian music
by studying the flute
. Now he switched to tabla
, in order to accompany her. They both went on to form their fusion group Divya, one of the first and then most successful groups that fused Indian elements with jazz
/rock
etc. Divya toured abroad extensively and was acclaimed as one of the pioneers in their field. While Divya was touring Europe
, Alice Coltrane
heard them perform at the Jazz Jamboree in Poland. She invited the group to perform at the John Coltrane
Jazz Festival in Los Angeles. Divya toured Europe
, Japan
, Malaysia, Thailand
, the U.S.S.R. They made two albums – Madras Café and Kumbha Mela on which Sandhya was the featured vocalist. Dinshah and Sandhya also produced a sound track album for a documentary on the Ramayana
TV series for Channel 4
in the UK. Alice
featured Sandhya on the BBC documentary called Rhythms of the World, also featuring tabla
wizard Zakir Hussain
and violin
virtuoso L. Shankar
.
man and moved to The Netherlands. Here she embarked on her solo career. She recorded her Nava Rasa suite with Heiko Dijker on tabla
and Matthieu Safatly on prepared cello
. She toured The Netherlands and Germany
with this trio, while sometimes adding a dancer to the group. She also lives in London
from time to time. In London
, she performed her Nava Rasa song cycle with Renga
of the London Philharmonic Orchestra
twice – at St. James’s Church in Piccadilly
and at the Southbank Centre. Alice Coltrane
invited her to do a solo performance at the John Coltrane
festival for a fund raising concert in El Rey Theatre
in Los Angeles
, where she was accompanied by Ravi Coltrane
's pianist
Luis Perdomo (pianist)
on some pieces. Late 2009 she recorded Random Access Melody which was released on the Dutch
Loplop label.
’s Madras Special – a band that combines South Indian musical and rhythmic traditions with jazz
. With this band, she has performed in Morocco
, Taiwan
, Romania
, Hungary
, London
and many venues in Germany
and The Netherlands. She has also appeared on their two albums - Madras special and Urban Folklore, both of which had critical acclaim.
, Luxembourg
, The Netherlands and Germany
with this outfit. She appeared on two albums with Kadim – the eponymous debut album and Shati, the second album which was in the top ten of the German critic’s charts.
and composer
, Prem Joshua
is a pioneer in the field of world fusion music. Sandhya has featured on three of Prem’s albums – Yatri, Taranga and Shiva Moon. She also appeared on an MTV Asia live broadcast with Prem’s group. She has toured Europe
with the band and also performed at several major Indian events with him.
– a piece commissioned by Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam
and choreographed by Kalpana Raghuraman for performance by children.
who made web collaborations. During this period, she met Rom di Prisco
who is a prominent musician scoring soundtracks for video games. Rom
has used Sandhya’s voice on several game tracks, including some for the soundtrack for Unreal Tournament 3.
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. She is one of the first Indian singers to have experimented with fusing Indian classical
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
vocals with various other western contemporary styles. Her career began at a young age and she has appeared on over 30 albums, covering various genres. She is a performing artist who combines her experience as a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
/funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
/rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
vocalist with an understanding of Indian music
Music of India
The music of India includes multiple varieties of folk, popular, pop, classical music and R&B. India's classical music tradition, including Carnatic and Hindustani music, has a history spanning millennia and developed over several eras. It remains fundamental to the lives of Indians today as...
– classical and contemporary
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
– to bridge cultures.
Early life
Sandhya was born in MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
as Sandhya Golikeri to Shaila and Ramdas Golikeri in a Saraswat Brahmin
Saraswat Brahmin
The Saraswats are a Brahmin caste of India.- History :According to the legend, Saraswat Brahmins are Brahmins who lived on the banks of the former Saraswati River that once flowed in northern India. Although it is said that at Prayag the three rivers meet or met.the fact is that the Saraswati never...
family. She is the eldest of four daughters. She learnt her first songs from her mother (née Sunanda Nadkarni) who was a singer and had performed on Radio Dharwad. As her mother worked, at the age of five, she moved to New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
and was raised by her uncle and aunt. Her uncle got her performing on stage singing pop songs
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and Indian devotional
Bhajan
A Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
songs. At about seven years of age, she started learning Indian classical
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
singing from an elderly relative, Maitrayini Mundkur. Ms. Mundkur would compose the texts of great saint poets with Indian classical raga
Raga
A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
s. Each piece was based on a single raga
Raga
A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
and taught the essence of a raga
Raga
A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
in a nutshell. Sandhya sang a devotional song for a children’s programme on Radio Ceylon. She won many singing competitions as a young girl in the Saraswat colony – Talmaki Wadi. At the age of ten, she started studying Hindustani classical
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
singing from Sita Hirebet, an exponent of the Kirana gharana
Kirana Gharana
Kirana Gharana is one of the most prolific Hindustani khyal gharanas.-History:The name of this school of music derives from Kirana or Kairana, a town and tehsil of Muzzafarnagar District in Uttar Pradesh...
and a student of Gangubai Hangal
Gangubai Hangal
Gangubai Hangal was an Indian singer of the khyal genre of Hindustani classical music, who was known for her deep and powerful voice. Hangal belonged to the Kirana gharana.-Early life:...
. Then she moved back to Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
and graduated from Elphinstone College
Elphinstone College
Elphinstone College is an institution of higher education affiliated to the University of Mumbai. Established in 1856, it is one of the oldest colleges of the University of Mumbai. It was exalted as a prestigious seat of learning during the British Raj and is generally observed for its vibrant alumni...
in English Literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
and Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
. She also simultaneously studied at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan is an Indian educational trust. It was founded on November 7, 1938 by Dr. K. M. Munshi, with the blessings of Mahatma Gandhi...
, under Dinkar and Shashikala Kaikini of the Agra gharana
Agra gharana
Agra Gharana is a tradition of Hindustani Classical Vocal Music descended from the Nauhar Bani. So far, Nauhar Bani has been traced back to around 1300 AD, during the reign of Emperor Allauddin Khilji of Delhi....
. Later she studied with Pt. Govind Prasad Jaipurwale until he died in 1987.
First journey into fusion
In the meanwhile, she had been singing with various rockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
/blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
groups in Bombay, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
and Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. When she met Dinshah Sanjana, he had studied classical piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and was just entering the world of Indian music
Music of India
The music of India includes multiple varieties of folk, popular, pop, classical music and R&B. India's classical music tradition, including Carnatic and Hindustani music, has a history spanning millennia and developed over several eras. It remains fundamental to the lives of Indians today as...
by studying the flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
. Now he switched to tabla
Tabla
The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
, in order to accompany her. They both went on to form their fusion group Divya, one of the first and then most successful groups that fused Indian elements with jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
/rock
Indian rock
Indian rock is a genre of popular music in India that incorporates elements of Indian music and mainstream rock and is often topically India-centric. While India is known for its northern and southern classical music, the Indian rock scene has produced numerous bands and artists...
etc. Divya toured abroad extensively and was acclaimed as one of the pioneers in their field. While Divya was touring Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Alice Coltrane
Alice Coltrane
Alice Coltrane, née McLeod was an American jazz pianist, organist, harpist, and composer.-Biography:...
heard them perform at the Jazz Jamboree in Poland. She invited the group to perform at the John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
Jazz Festival in Los Angeles. Divya toured Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Malaysia, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, the U.S.S.R. They made two albums – Madras Café and Kumbha Mela on which Sandhya was the featured vocalist. Dinshah and Sandhya also produced a sound track album for a documentary on the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
TV series for Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
in the UK. Alice
Alice Coltrane
Alice Coltrane, née McLeod was an American jazz pianist, organist, harpist, and composer.-Biography:...
featured Sandhya on the BBC documentary called Rhythms of the World, also featuring tabla
Tabla
The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
wizard Zakir Hussain
Zakir Hussain (musician)
Zakir Hussain , , is an Indian tabla player, musical producer, film actor and composer.-Early life:Hussain was born in Mumbai, India to the legendary tabla player Alla Rakha. He attended St...
and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
virtuoso L. Shankar
L. Shankar
Lakshminarayanan Shankar, also known as L. Shankar and Shenkar, is an Indian-born American violinist, singer and composer.-Early life:...
.
Embarking on a solo career
In 1998, Sandhya and Dinshah separated. In 1999, she married a DutchDutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
man and moved to The Netherlands. Here she embarked on her solo career. She recorded her Nava Rasa suite with Heiko Dijker on tabla
Tabla
The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
and Matthieu Safatly on prepared cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
. She toured The Netherlands and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
with this trio, while sometimes adding a dancer to the group. She also lives in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
from time to time. In London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, she performed her Nava Rasa song cycle with Renga
Renga
' is a genre of Japanese collaborative poetry. A renga consists of at least two or stanzas, usually many more. The opening stanza of the renga, called the , became the basis for the modern haiku form of poetry....
of the London Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
twice – at St. James’s Church in Piccadilly
Piccadilly
Piccadilly is a major street in central London, running from Hyde Park Corner in the west to Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is completely within the city of Westminster. The street is part of the A4 road, London's second most important western artery. St...
and at the Southbank Centre. Alice Coltrane
Alice Coltrane
Alice Coltrane, née McLeod was an American jazz pianist, organist, harpist, and composer.-Biography:...
invited her to do a solo performance at the John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
festival for a fund raising concert in El Rey Theatre
El Rey Theatre
El Rey Theatre is currently a live music venue in the Miracle Mile area of the Mid-Wilshire region in Los Angeles, California. "El Rey" means "The King" in Spanish....
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where she was accompanied by Ravi Coltrane
Ravi Coltrane
Ravi Coltrane is an American post-bop jazz saxophonist. Co-owner of the record label RKM Music, he has produced artists such as pianist Luis Perdomo , guitarist David Gilmore and trumpeter Ralph Alessi....
's pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
Luis Perdomo (pianist)
Luis Perdomo (pianist)
Luis Perdomo is an American jazz pianist and composer. He is directly and indirectly influenced by Bud Powell, Oscar Peterson, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, McCoy Tyner, Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock...
on some pieces. Late 2009 she recorded Random Access Melody which was released on the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Loplop label.
Madras Special
She is a member of Ramesh ShothamRamesh Shotham
Ramesh Shotham is a percussionist and drummer.-Life:Ramesh Shotham was born in Madras, South India. He graduated with a degree in zoology from Loyola College, University of Madras...
’s Madras Special – a band that combines South Indian musical and rhythmic traditions with jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
. With this band, she has performed in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and many venues in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and The Netherlands. She has also appeared on their two albums - Madras special and Urban Folklore, both of which had critical acclaim.
Omri Hason
She has been a featured member of Omri Hason’s Kadim and been touring SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, The Netherlands and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
with this outfit. She appeared on two albums with Kadim – the eponymous debut album and Shati, the second album which was in the top ten of the German critic’s charts.
Prem Joshua
Multi-instrumentalistMulti-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, Prem Joshua
Prem Joshua
Prem Joshua is a German musician, active since 1991.Born in Germany, Joshua learned the flute at the age of five and played the flute and the saxophone for various local bands. At the age of 18, he traveled overland to India studying the indigenous folk music of countries along the way...
is a pioneer in the field of world fusion music. Sandhya has featured on three of Prem’s albums – Yatri, Taranga and Shiva Moon. She also appeared on an MTV Asia live broadcast with Prem’s group. She has toured Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
with the band and also performed at several major Indian events with him.
Music direction
Sandhya has composed music for dance and theatre. Her music has been featured on the production of RamayanaRamayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
– a piece commissioned by Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and choreographed by Kalpana Raghuraman for performance by children.
On the Web and in Games
She was one of the early artistes on mp3.comMP3.com
MP3.com is a web site operated by CNET Networks providing information about digital music and artists, songs, services, community, and technologies. It is probably better known for its original incarnation, as a legal, free music-sharing service, popular with independent musicians for promoting...
who made web collaborations. During this period, she met Rom di Prisco
Rom Di Prisco
Rom Di Prisco is a classically trained composer and producer. He has provided music for over 30 video games, including Unreal Tournament 3, SSX Tricky, Spy Hunter 2, and more notably, the Need for Speed series...
who is a prominent musician scoring soundtracks for video games. Rom
Rom Di Prisco
Rom Di Prisco is a classically trained composer and producer. He has provided music for over 30 video games, including Unreal Tournament 3, SSX Tricky, Spy Hunter 2, and more notably, the Need for Speed series...
has used Sandhya’s voice on several game tracks, including some for the soundtrack for Unreal Tournament 3.
As featured vocalist / band member
- Divya: Madras Cafe (CBS, 1987)
- Divya: Kumbhamela (Earth Beat Music, 1998)
- Dinshah & Sandhya Sanjana: Ramayana - a Journey (Channel Four Television Corporation, 1997)
- Madras Special (Permission Music, 2002)
- Madras Special: Urban Folklore (Double MoonChallenge RecordsChallenge Records has been the name of at least three different record labels in the 20th century:* Challenge Records - a US based company* Challenge Records - a US based company* Challenge Records - a Netherlands based company...
, 2006) - Omri Hason: Kadim (Permission Music, 2003)
- Omri Hason: Shati (Double MoonChallenge RecordsChallenge Records has been the name of at least three different record labels in the 20th century:* Challenge Records - a US based company* Challenge Records - a US based company* Challenge Records - a Netherlands based company...
, 2008) - Prem Joshua: Shiva Moon (Music Today, 2003)
- Prem Joshua: Yatri (White Swan Records, 2006)
- Prem Joshua: Taranga (White Swan Records, 2006)
- Praful: Pyramic in your Backyard (Therapy Recordings, 2006)
- Praful: Remixed + 2 (Therapy Recordings, 2006)
- Chris Hinze Combination: Back on the Map (Keytone records, 2004)
- Masaladosa: Electro World Curry (Masalasound, 2008)
- Sandhya Sanjana: Nava Rasa (not released, 2002)
- Sandhya Sanjana: Random Access Melody (Loplop, 2009)
As guest vocalist / supporting vocals
- Alice ColtraneAlice ColtraneAlice Coltrane, née McLeod was an American jazz pianist, organist, harpist, and composer.-Biography:...
: Glorious Chants (Avatar Book Institute, 1995) - Mynta: Indian Times (Intuition, 1997)
- Susheela RamanSusheela RamanSusheela Raman is an acclaimed British Tamil musician. Raman has released five albums since 2001. Her debut album Salt Rain was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2001.-Early years:...
: Salt Rain (NaradaNarada ProductionsNarada is a record label formed 1983 as an independent New Age music label and distributed by MCA Records. Now a fully owned subsidiary of EMI, Narada evolved through an expansion of formats to include music from other styles including world music, jazz, Celtic music, new flamenco, acoustic guitar...
, 2001) - Susheela RamanSusheela RamanSusheela Raman is an acclaimed British Tamil musician. Raman has released five albums since 2001. Her debut album Salt Rain was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2001.-Early years:...
: Love Trap (NaradaNarada ProductionsNarada is a record label formed 1983 as an independent New Age music label and distributed by MCA Records. Now a fully owned subsidiary of EMI, Narada evolved through an expansion of formats to include music from other styles including world music, jazz, Celtic music, new flamenco, acoustic guitar...
, 2003) - Indofunk : The Basement Sessions (Saraswati Records, 2002)
- Bahramji & Maneesh De Moor: Call Of The Mystic (Blue Flame Records, 2005)
- Maneesh de Moor: Sadhana (Sounds True, 2006)
- Unreal Tournament 3 The Soundtrack (2xCD) (Sumthing Else MusicWorks Inc, 2007)
- Michel Banabila: Traces (Tapu Records, 2007)
- Michel Banabila: Precious Images (Steamin' Soundworks, 2008)
Musicians Sandhya has worked with
Festivals and venues Sandhya played at
Newspaper articles in the de Volkskrant
Zoltan Lantos laat nieuwe snaren resoneren (Dutch), http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=nl&u=http://www.volkskrant.nl/archief_gratis/article966520.ece/Zoltan_Lantos_laat_nieuwe_snaren_resoneren&ei=k89ASq7QDNyZjAfY8_COCQ&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhttp://www.volkskrant.nl/archief_gratis/article966520.ece/Zoltan_Lantos_laat_nieuwe_snaren_resoneren%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26hs%3DBAlZoltan Lantos allows new strings to resonate (English)] Wereldmuziek (Dutch), World (English) Dialoog tussen piano en oeroude kleipot (Dutch), Dialogue between piano and ancient clay pot (English) Indiase klassieke muziek met een bluesy groove (Dutch), Indian classical music with a bluesy groove(English)External links
- Sandhya Sanjana's Website @ www.sandhyasanjana.com
- MySpace