Radha Thomas

One of India’s leading and most widely recognized figures in jazz, vocalist Radha Thomas has been creating her unique sound for many decades. Transitioning from early rock & roll and Indian classical roots to present-day jazz with her own original compositions, Thomas loves vocalese.

She left India in the mid 70s, selected by Jazz India, a leading jazz promotion organization, to perform across Europe and go to NY to learn jazz. She lived, performed and recorded for almost 20 years in NYC working with Ryo Kawasaki, Michael Brecker, Anthony Jackson, Harvey Mason, Leon Pendarvis, Alex Blake, John Abercrombie and others in some of NYC’s most famous jazz clubs and concert halls. Her music also includes an experimental trio with bassist Frank Tusa and Miles Davis alum Badal Roy, where Thomas was featured soloist.

When she returned to Bangalore, she was empaneled by ICCR (the Indian Council for Cultural Affairs) to be a jazz ambassador for India. She has performed with her own band ‘UNK The Radha Thomas Ensemble’ (I Only Have Eyes For You) and in a piano-and-voice format (Bangalore Blues) all over India.

When COVID attacked in 2020 putting an end to live music performances, Thomas turned to the internet and collaborated virtually with jazz musicians world-wide. In a single year, she recorded 52 jazz videos.

She hosted a weekly jazz show on Radio Indigo in Bangalore. She is also the author of several books, a dog activist and host of the podcast ‘The Indie Dog.’