Hoping to bring some solace during a troubled time for the world, Charu Suri released a new single titled “A Little Joy” via YouTube in late December.
Suri is a jazz piano virtuoso and former child prodigy who lives in Weehawken with her husband and daughter.
Her new single comes after being locked out of venues like Carnegie Hall by COVID-19. Suri plans to drop multiple new albums throughout 2021.
The show goes on
After becoming the only Indian Jazz artist to headline her own program at Carnegie Hall in December 2019, Suri was due to perform there again in December 2020. Unfortunately, COVID-19 restrictions made the repeat performance impossible.
“We simply figured that the show must go on,” said Suri. “We could not allow COVID to keep us from bringing our original jazz music to audiences around the world.”
Enter the era of YouTube and Zoom. Many artists have taken to online platforms to continue creating music and art and delivering them to eager audiences for quality Jazz and other varieties of music.
For A Little Joy, Suri wrote the music and lyrics, and plays the piano. She draws on the vocal talents of Danielle Erin Rhodes, with Justin Lee on the double bass and Jay O’Brien on the drums.
“This song was written during the pandemic, and is meant to bring comfort and joy during the holiday season and colder months in general,” Suri said.
Upcoming albums
Suri announced plans for the release of three new albums in 2021, including holiday originals, a new jazz album using Indian ragas and Sufi sounds, and a New Age album.
Suri recently became a Recording Academy (GRAMMYs) voting member. She has released three albums to date, including The New American Songbook which is an ode to traditional Jazz, and The Book of Ragas which blends Indian ragas, a jazz trio, and Sufi sounds which recently won three International Music Awards.
“A Little Joy” will be downloadable on all music platforms, including Spotify, on Jan. 30. Follow her on @CharuSuriMusic on Instagram and @CharuSuriTrio on Facebook, where she performs almost daily.
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