Born to Be Blue

Radha Thomas is one of India’s most iconic jazz voices, known for a sound shaped over decades: from early Bangalore rock & roll and Indian classical roots to a deep, distinctive jazz and blues vocabulary. Selected by Jazz India in the 1970s, she spent nearly 20 years performing and recording in New York with legends such as Ryo Kawasaki, Michael Brecker, Anthony Jackson, Harvey Mason, Badal Roy, and others. After returning to Bangalore, she was empanelled by ICCR as a cultural ambassador and has collaborated widely, including with Louis Banks, Gerard Machado, UNK, and pianist Aman Mahajan. Her recent projects include Bangalore Blues, the international lockdown series of 52 jazz recordings, and As I Sing with guitarists in the US. A former jazz radio host, author, and podcaster, she continues to shape India’s contemporary jazz expression.

Aman Mahajan is a pianist and composer known for a contemplative, improvisatory style shaped by jazz, Indian classical, folk, and global contemporary traditions. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, he approaches improvisation as conversation: drawing from philosophy, personal memory, and a wide sonic history. His acclaimed solo work Refuge (2019) reflects on home and inward journeys. Based in Bangalore, Aman leads and collaborates across numerous ensembles including REFUGE, Sage for the Ages, Tinctures, Mystik Vibes, Intuition, and projects with Radha Thomas. Active internationally, he performs at festivals worldwide and contributes to India’s improvisational music ecosystem through teaching, workshops, and curation at The Blue Room and Courtyard Koota.

Rohit P. S. is a Bangalore-based drummer, performer, and educator recognized for his versatile musicianship and rhythmic depth. Head of the Drum Department at Music Central, he brings a holistic approach to teaching: integrating multiple pedagogical traditions, improvisation, and conceptual understanding. As a performer, he appears with ensembles such as MoonArra, Final Vinyl, and Aman Mahajan’s REFUGE. Rohit teaches privately, online, and on location, shaping a new generation of drummers while remaining an active voice in the city’s live music scene.

Sricharan is a cognitive neuroscientist whose deep curiosity about how the brain perceives sound and makes decisions led him to jazz bass—an instrument he has embraced with remarkable intuition and musical sensitivity. Despite beginning recently, he plays with the nuance and mood of a seasoned jazz musician, bringing emotional clarity to grooves and improvisation alike. In Bangalore’s independent music circuit, he has performed with artists and bands including Akshada Krishnan, Funky Dory, and Pockets & Changes, steadily establishing himself as a thoughtful and expressive bassist.