Toronto based freelance vocalist, pianist and percussionist Suba Sankaran’s long and varied musical career began at an early age studying South Indian vocal music and percussion with her father, master drummer Trichy Sankaran. She graduated from York University in 1997, where she studied jazz with Carol Welsman, Lisa Martinelli, Bob Mover, Don Thompson, Barry Elmes and Al Henderson, and completed her Master of Arts degree in 2002. She has studied South Indian classical vocal music with Sankari Krishnan, T. Vishwanathan, K. Subramaniam and N. Ramani, percussion with Glen Velez, Sal Ferreras and Russell Hartenberger and piano with Casey Sokol and Francine Kay.
Suba performs with world music ensembles autorickshaw and Trichy’s Trio, Renaissance vocal music with Voyces Past, jazz with the FreePlay Duo, and sings a cappella 80’s hits with Retrocity. She has performed nationally and internationally. As well as directing choirs and conducting workshops, Suba is in demand as a private teacher, clinician, composer and arranger across Canada.
Recent highlights include autorickshaw’s Juno nomination for “World Music Album of the Year” as well as three summer tours of folk and jazz festivals across Canada. Suba was featured as a soloist for Global Divas, performing with Jane Bunnett and the Spirits of Havana, recorded by the CBC. The CBC’s Global Village also presented an Artist Profile on Suba. She composed incidental music for the Raj Kumari’s Lullaby, part of CBC radio’s immigration series, was host presenter of CBC Television’s performing arts program “Opening Night” and Vision Television’s Soul Music series, and has most recently composed music for the film Love’s A Gamble and the theatre production of Bombay Black.
Suba has numerous recording credits to her name.
