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At 40, Amirtha Kidambi has achieved a remarkable feat as a singer, composer, improviser, ensemble leader, and left-wing activist. Her renown places her among the headliners of international contemporary music festivals, which are increasingly referred to as creative music due to their diverse influences. At the helm of her band Elder Ones, the artist is a Buffalo native who has lived in New York since the beginning of her professional life two decades ago. Her parents are Tamil, from South India, and their Carnatic culture has had a significant impact on her hybrid music, blending South Indian classical music with free improvisation rooted in jazz, as well as electronica, hip-hop, and even punk-influenced hardcore. In Victoriaville this Thursday, May 14 (FIMAV) and in Chicoutimi-Nord the following day, Friday, May 15 (FMC), Amirtha Kidambi will sing, play the harmonium and synthesizers, performing alongside soprano saxophonist Matt Nelson, tenor saxophonist Alfredo Colon, bassist Lester Louis, and drummer Jason Nazary, who make up the crew of her flagship project. Reached in New York a few days before her Quebec City visit, the American artist spoke generously about her art as well as her anti-supremacist, anti-patriarchal, anti-colonialist, and anti-capitalist stance.
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At 40, Amirtha Kidambi has forged a multifaceted career as a singer, composer, improviser, ensemble leader, and left-wing activist. Her reputation has established her as a headliner at international contemporary music festivals, a genre now often referred to as “creative music” due to its diverse influences. At the helm of her group Elder Ones, the artist is a native of Buffalo and has lived in New York since the start of her professional career two decades ago. Her parents are Tamil, originally from southern India, and their Carnatic culture has had a significant impact on her hybrid music, blending South Indian classical music with free improvisation rooted in jazz, as well as electronic, hip-hop, and even hardcore punk influences. In Victoriaville this Thursday, May 14 (FIMAV), and in Chicoutimi-Nord the following day, Friday, May 15 (FMC), Amirtha Kidambi will sing and play the harmonium and synthesizers, performing alongside soprano saxophonist Matt Nelson, tenor saxophonist Alfredo Colon, double bassist Lester Louis, and drummer Jason Nazary, who make up the crew of her flagship. Reached in New York a few days before her trip to Quebec, the American artist spoke generously with us about her art as well as her anti-supremacist, anti-patriarchal, anti-colonialist, and anti-capitalist stance.
