New Delhi: A 17-year-old Indian-American singer from Atlanta has made it through blind auditions on The Voice. Kavi Nyx sang Billie Eilish’s song Wildflower, and Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, and Riley Green all wanted her on their teams. She chose Clarkson.
Levine was particularly interested in the Indian influences he heard in her singing. Kavi had worked some Indian musical scales and vocal runs into Eilish’s song, and explained that she wanted to bring something from her own background into the performance.
Clarkson also liked what Kavi had done with the song, calling it “purposeful and so beautiful”. Green said her performance had some of the most personality he’d heard on the show.
And Kavi seemed pretty sure about which coach she wanted. “I think it was decided before I came on here for a while,” she said.
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Teacher, singer, producer
Kavi’s real name is Sanjana Santhosh. She’s been performing for several years, and in 2023, she won a singing competition held by the Atlanta Tamil Mandram as part of its Deepavali celebrations.
She started learning Carnatic music when she was five, after her grandmother noticed her interest in devotional songs. Kavi sings in Tamil and other languages, and also teaches piano and singing to younger children, including children with special needs.
Apart from singing, she also writes and produces music, and is a dancer. She has trained at VSharp Gurukulam, a performing arts school in Dallas, and performed with VSharp the Band. Her music is largely pop, but she draws on Indian music too.
In April this year, she released her first single, Speak Up, through VSharp Records. It’s about having the courage to say what you think, even when it might lead to an argument.
“I hope this song reminds people that their voice matters and that they shouldn’t be afraid to use it,” she said when the song came out.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)