Album Notes

SUMITRA RETURNS WITH THE RELEASE OF INDIAN GIRL

Born in New York, raised in Vienna, schooled in London, and now living in Los Angeles, Sumitra Nanjundan is a versatile artist with South Indian roots that has a style she characterizes as "pop songs in a jazz setting: intimate, original, personal, timeless." It would be difficult to come up with a more precise description, which is shown over and over again with the music that comprises Sumitra's latest release, Indian Girl. "People ask me to describe my style relative to other artists, which is something I used to resist," says Sumitra, "but I've learned that it really helps them to get the idea. The closest comparisons are Rickie Lee Jones, Sade, Billy Holiday, and Kate Bush."

Sumitra got an early start as a musician, and she has continued to build momentum throughout her music career. As a toddler and child she sang, learned to play the piano, recorded songs on a two-track tape machine, and gave piano and voice performances to visitors at her parents' home. In her early years, she studied classical piano, sang in school choirs, and began writing original material. She did everything she could to help perfect her craft, and then decided to put her skills to the test with the formation of her first band, Satu, with whom she performed throughout Austria and developed a major following. But all of this early success didn't go to Sumitra's head, and she even backed out of a major record label deal when she learned of the ways in which the agreement would stifle her creativity. Instead, Sumitra attended an American university in Vienna, where she earned a degree in business, though she continued to write music on her own.

But she couldn't stay away from the stage for long, and she soon began performing with a trio, and later with a duo, dishing out a couple of new releases along the way, exploring a variety of musical styles, and keeping her fans entranced all the while. Indian Girl represents the first time Sumitra has presented her music in a "guitar trio setting" with no keyboards or piano. The recording features strong guitar work from Alex Machacek, who is joined by Mario Lackner on drums and Tibor Kovesdi on bass - all underscoring Sumitra's originality, individuality, and personality as a singer and songwriter.

"With the looks of Diana Ross and a voice that could rival any jazz singer of recent years, Sumitra Nanjundan stands out from the usual crop of female vocalists."
- Leonard's Lair

"Sumitra has grown to become an independent musician with her very own unique ideas. Her latest CD bears witness to this development...The album presents a collection of finely woven pop songs in a jazz setting, far beyond any clichés."
- Christian Bakony, Jazz Zeit

June 2005 Rainmaker Public Relations www.rm-pr.com