EPK
September 2026
Origin
Madurai, India; currently, New Jersey
Geners
Raga Jazz (pioneered the genre), World Music
Awards
Entertainer of the Year (GOLD) from the International Singer Songwriters Association (ISSA), Numerous Global Music Awards, Clouzine World Jazz Album winner, Intercontinental Music Awards winner 2022 and 2023 for both Jazz and Asia Jazz.
Label
Amala Records
Biography
CHARU SURI is a pianist and composer who treads fearlessly between genres, blending several styles and fusing Indian ragas with more traditional jazz into a style she has pioneered, called "raga jazz."
Born in South India, she was a piano prodigy performing in various concert halls at an early age. Charu's most recent album, RAGS & RAGAS, was recorded with John Patitucci on the double bass, Steve Gadd and Joe Lastie on the drums, and debuted recently at #3 on the iTunes jazz charts, and reached #2 in Kenya. Her previous albums have charted #1 in India in the Jazz and overall albums categories.
With mood-invoking ragas (to be played according to the time of day) for many of her compositions, she weaves techniques and sounds from several places including India, Europe, and Africa.
Achievements
Her work has won numerous awards. She received eight nominations in the International Singer Songwriters Association (ISSA) Awards in 2023,and was named Entertainer of the Year (Gold) by ISSA at its annual awards ceremony in Atlanta. Her VERONA WALTZ from her previous album, RAGAS & WALTZES was awarded Best Jazz Song in North America at the Intercontinental Music Awards in 2023.
Charu also became the first Indian artist to collaborate with Preservation Hall Jazz Band in New Orleans on her latest album, RAGAS & WALTZES, that features drummer Joe Lastie. Previously, she has released "The Book of Ragas" and "The New American Songbook" at Carnegie Hall. She returns to Carnegie Hall for the fourth time on Friday, April 5, 2024.
On May 13, 2023, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra performed her work for the very first time at NJPAC in the family-friendly "Hooray for Bollywood" concert and will also perform arrangements of hers of popular Bollywood tunes.
Follow for
more updates
@charusurimusic on Instagram @CharuSuriTrio on Facebook.
Press Highlights
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Hindustan Times Weekend Cover Story, Meet the Indian Topping the International Jazz Charts
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All About Jazz, RAGS & RAGAS Review, Ink it in as one of the top jazz albums of the year...
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JAZZIZ Magazine, RAGS & RAGAS Podcast and Review
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JAZZIZ Magazine, Ragas & Waltzes Review
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Jersey Journal, Composer balances levity, grief in new album
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All About Jazz, Book of Ragas vol. 2 review
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Scroll India, Rising Star Charu Suri on her raga jazz journey
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All That Jazz and More for Indian American Girl's Carnegie Performance, New Indian Express
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Weehawken musician inspires during the pandemic, The Hudson Reporter
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Composer Charu Suri Combines Jazz with Sufi Sounds, Princeton Alumni Weekly
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Bitch Magazine: The Sick Issue, Charu Suri: On Finding the Feeling Through Jazz
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All About Jazz reviews "The Book of Ragas"
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Skope Magazine reviews "The Book of Ragas"
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Namaste Newsline, First Female Indian American Jazz Composer at Carnegie Hall
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Weehawken musician fuses jazz and Sufi music, The Hudson Reporter
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Not without my daughter, The Hindu Indian newspaper
