I respect the discipline with which Indian traditionalists approach music,” says Sanaya Ardeshir, the artist known globally as Sandunes. “I worked on a project with a sarangi and tabla player, and for the first time, was kind of exposed to this idea of Sadhana, a yogic spiritual expression, as instrument practice. They would honor the music, wake up in the morning and play with the sunset, like a prayer. I was like damn… you have an iPhone and you’re on Instagram, but that’s still the practice.”
This, really, is the essence of Sanaya’s artistry. A synthesis of dichotomies. Music shaped by influences both local and global. Contemporary and historical. She’s an embodiment of the deep creative spirit that has taken root in India, but her purview is very much international, dividing her time between London, Berlin and Mumbai, and extracting energy from divergent scenes and sounds.
Sanaya is a live performer, producer, composer, pianist and teacher who is now recognised as one of India’s leading electronic music artists. There is no one term that summaries her sound; she draws from jazz, classical, hip-hop and the multifarious music of India to inform her vibrant electronic style.
Alongside her music, Sanaya is a dedicated yoga practitioner, and trained teacher. Over time, she has adapted yogic teachings and philosophies to inform her creative outlook, and artistic practice.
