Kavita Shah

Award-winning vocalist, composer, and educator Kavita Shah is a global citizen and cultural interlocutor whose work involves deep engagement with the jazz tradition, while also addressing and advancing its global sensibilities. Her latest album, "Cape Verdean Blues" (2023, Folkalist Records) is a tribute to the charismatic world music legend Cesária Évora. Kavita is a lifelong New Yorker of Indian origin hailed for possessing an “amazing dexterity for musical languages” (NPR). Shah speaks 9 languages—including Portuguese and Cape Verdean Kriol—and incorporates field research around the world (Brazil, West Africa, East Africa, Turkey, India) into her original music. Her work has been supported by the Jerome Foundation, Chamber Music America, Camargo Foundation, Hermitage Artists Retreat, Asian Cultural Council, and New Music USA. Shah holds a B.A. in Latin American Studies from Harvard, and a Master’s in Jazz Voice from Manhattan School of Music.