Northwest Folklife Festival
Stories and Songs from the Hindustani (North Indian) tradition of the last 250 years
Srivani Jade is a captivating performer and story-teller of the folk and classical traditions of North India. She is a singer, composer and educator, and has performed in major festivals in India, and all over North America and Europe. She has recorded eight solo albums; her debut album ‘Meera’s Love’ won an IMA nomination in 2009. Her background scores for films (Tapasya, 2003, Siddhanto, 2014) and the Tom Stoppard play ‘Indian Ink’ (Sound Theater Company, 2014) received much critical acclaim worldwide. She is a three-times Washington State Master grant recipient, a Visiting Artist at the University of Washington, and has won grants, awards and residencies at the national level.
Her storied performances make listeners fall in love with Indian music, ‘..and the genius of Srivani Jade [sic] leaves the listener feeling a deep sense of spiritual and cultural clarity. The mood spirals upwards, colors change, the musical fabric loosens and frees the remarkable instrument that is the voice of Ms. Jade.’ (All Things about Jazz, 2016). Her Indian music clinics are in great demand, and she has coached and workshopped for the Seattle Opera, UW Chorale, Early Music Vancouver among others. ‘Her sequencing was just beautiful, all the way to the moments when she offered us an opportunity to understand what can happen to a “plainsong” when one ornaments it and improvises upon it. It was an altogether exquisite experience!’ (Smithsonian Folklife/World Music Pedagogy (2024).
Srivani performs solo voice with an ensemble of tabla (drums), harmonium/sarangi, and tanpura (4-stringed drone). Her current themes are Celebrating 500 years of Indian Music, Women in Music, Songs of the Six Seasons, and Folk Traditions of India. In this set premiering at Early Music Seattle, she will perform songs from the deserts of Rajasthan to the rolling hills of the North East, and carry the listeners on a melodic journey across North India.
