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UNK: The Radha Thomas Ensemble
Jazz singer, writer and dog advocate
About Me
htt[://www.radhathomas.com
http://www.facebook.com/radha.thomas
http://soundcloud.com/unkensemble
http://www.reverbnation.com/unktheradhathomasensemble
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 as well as her own original compositions, Thomas loves bebop,
especially vocalese, which she writes and sings a lot.
Thomas left India in the mid 70s, having been 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. Some of the musicians whith whom shes performed or
recoded with include Ryo Kawasaki, Michael Brecker, Anthony Jackson, Harvey Mason, Leon
Pendarvis, Alex Blake, John Abercrombie in some of NYC’s most famous jazz clubs and concert
halls. It also included 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, India’s key cultural agency) 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.
More recently, when Covid struck, from her home in Bangalore, India, Thomas turned to the
internet and virtual collaboration with jazz musicians world-wide. In a single year she recorded 52
jazz videos both with her original music and jazz standards along with some of the world’s most
talented musicians from Russia, Poland, Italy, USA, Germany, England, India and India.
When she returned to India, she was empaneled by ICCR (the Indian Council for Cultural Affairs,
India’s key cultural agency) 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.
She hosted a weekly jazz show on Radio Indigo in Bangalore. She is also the author of several
books, a dog rescue activist and host of the podcast ‘The Indie Dog.’
