Sangeeta Kaur
Kaur in 2020
Kaur in 2020
Background information
Birth nameLoan Xuan Mai
Teresa Mai (baptism name)
OriginMontclair, California, U.S.
GenresClassical crossover, New age
Occupation(s)Vocalist, composer, performing artist, producer
Instrument(s)Vocals
Websitewww.sangeetakaurmusic.com

Sangeeta Kaur is a Grammy Award winning Vietnamese American classical/crossover, new age vocalist, composer, performing artist, and producer. In 2022, she received a Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album for Mythologies, making her the first Vietnamese-American singer to ever receive a Grammy for a vocal performance.[1][2] She has performed at the Sydney Opera House and Lincoln Center, among others [3] and in 2021 made her debut television performance, "Sangeeta Kaur and Friends", with Jon Anderson of Yes and Jake Shimabukuro, among others on PBS's Front & Center music series.[4][5] Kaur performed vocals on Stewart Copeland's and Ricky Kej's 2022 Grammy Award Winning album, Divine Tides.[6]

She has won numerous awards including being inducted to the Independent Music Hall of Fame in 2020.[7] Kaur and her husband, Hai Nguyen, own and run Studio Hill recording studio in Austin, Texas.[8]

Early life

Kaur was born in Montclair, California (born Loan Xuan Mai) and later adopted her baptism name, Teresa Mai.[9] She was raised in Manhattan Beach, California. "When I was 4 years old, I got a hold of a VHS copy of The Sound of Music, and that did it for me," said Kaur. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Opera Performance at California State University, Long Beach (Bob Cole Conservatory of Music), and a Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee.[7][9][10]

Career

Sangeeta Kaur is a singer, composer, multi-media performing artist, and producer whose genres are classified as classical crossover and new age music. In 2022 Kaur was awarded a Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album for Mythologies.[1][11]

She has released six studio albums: Yoga is Love (2012),[12] Niguma (2016), Ascension, Niguma Vol. 2 (2017), which was also the music for her mantra opera, Niguma: The Mantra Project, which premiered at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica, CA. Her later releases include Mirrors (2018) and Compassion (2019) created with the Budapest Studio Orchestra, the Budapest Studio Choir, & Sterling Ensemble.[3] In 2020, she released Illuminance, produced by Grammy Award-winning composer and pianist Peter Kater[13] and co-produced by Kaur[14] which debuted at # 1 on Amazon's Hot New Releases chart.[15]

Kaur was classically trained as an operatic vocalist, who while performing internationally, was introduced to the world of spiritual mantra as well as the practice of Kundalini Yoga. When asked about her new age music career in an interview, "It was opera all the way — no Broadway, no contemporary — and if you sang outside of opera, you were bad," said Kaur. "But after I went to New York City for auditions, I began to study yoga and spirituality deeply. And this started me to shift my entire perspective as to what my purpose was in life … my calling was to bring joy and healing to everyone through my music".[10]

Kaur has performed internationally including the Sydney Opera House, the Lincoln Center, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, SXSW,[16] and the Melbourne Recital Centre.[3] In May 2021, she performed as part of PBS's Front & Center music series, (Sangeeta Kaur and Friends), performing with Jon Anderson of Yes and Jake Shimabukuro.[5][17]

As the creator and producer of the musical production, Niguma, The Mantra Project, Kaur performed the ancient story based on the 11th century yogini by the name of Lady Niguma, told through songs from her previous two albums, modern classical dance, yoga and visual arts. Niguma, The Mantra Project, premiered at The Broad Stage, in Santa Monica, California on November 5, 2016.[11]

In 2022 at the South by Southwest music festival, Kaur and her production company, Studio Hill Productions, partnered with Wisdome LA, Los Angeles’ largest immersive art and music dome park, to produce a replica, Wisdome 360 Immersive Dome Park, in downtown Austin, Texas.[16]

Spirituality and Yoga

Kaur began her spiritual journey while living in New York. She met her spiritual teachers who then guided her toward her practice and studies in Tibetan Buddhism, Kundalini Yoga, Yoga of Lady Niguma and the Yoga of Sound and Mantra. She released her first Mantra album Yoga is Love in 2012 and collaborated on several other albums with teachers and artists Amanbir Singh and Sajah Singh. She is a featured artist on Ra Ma Record's first compilation album that was released in 2013. Kaur changed her name from Teresa Mai to Sangeeta Kaur, (which means Princess of Music and Harmony), at her yogi's suggestion.[18]

Social contributions

Kaur is the founder of the non-profit organization Empower With Art Productions, which recognizes up-and-coming talent in music, dance, and visual arts. EWAP produces professional level productions for artists to gain experience and showcase their gifts and talents.[11]

Kaur is active in the Vietnamese community. In addition to writing and producing her own body of music, she has performed in many Vietnamese productions such as, Paris By Night, by Thuy Nga Productions, and ASIA Productions, the non-profit Pearl of the Heart Productions which supports Vietnamese International artists and disabled artists.[19] She is also a resident singer for the Vietnamese American Philharmonics non-profit under its director, Khanh Hong Nguyen.[20]

Kaur is an international Kundalini Yoga teacher, mantra artist, and in 2016 founded Sat Nam Yoga, a community based yoga studio in Little Saigon (Westminster, California), for Vietnamese students to attend for donations and at no charge to those who could not afford it.[11][21] She closed the studio in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11][22]

Personal life

Kaur is married to singer and classical guitarist Hai Nguyen. Kaur and Hai now split their time between Marina Del Rey, California[10] and Austin, Texas, where they own and run, Studio Hill, recording studio.[8][18]

Discography

  • 2012 - Yoga is Love[12]
  • 2016 - Niguma[23]
  • 2017 - Ascension, Niguma VOL. 2: The Mantra Project[23]
  • 2018 - Mirrors[23]
  • 2019 - Compassion[3]
  • 2020 - Illuminance[15]

Awards

Year Nominated Work Category Award Result
2022MythologiesClassical Solo Vocal AlbumGrammy Award[1]Won
2021Worlds CollideBest PangeaInterContinental Music Awards[24]Won
2020IlluminanceBest Female VocalistGlobal Music Awards[25]Won
2020CompassionBest New Age AlbumIndependent Music Award[26]Won
2020Sangeeta Kuar HonoredInductee Indie Music "Hall of Fame" [7]Indie Music ChannelWon
2020IlluminanceBest Vocal AlbumZone Music Award[27]Won
2020CompassionAlbum of the YearZone Music AwardsWon
2019CompassionBest Classical ArtistRadio Music Award[28]Won
2019Rise UpBest New Age SongRadio Music Award[28]Won
2019May the Long Time SunBest New Age ArtistRadio Music Awards[28]Won
2019Rise UpBest New Age SongHollywood Media in Music Award [29]Nominated
2019Ardas BhaeeOutstanding Music VideoProducers Choice Honors[30]Won
2019CompassionBest Female Classical ArtistIndie Music Channel[31]Nominated
2019MirrorsBest New Female Artist of the YearIndie Music Channel[31]Won
2019Mother EarthBest New Age SongIndie Music Channel[31]Won
2019I'm Not Gonna BreakBest New Age VideoIndie Music Channel [31]Won
2017Ascension – Niguma Volume 2/The Mantra Project' WinnerGlobal Peace Song Award[32]Won
2016NigumaGrand PrizePeace Song Award[33]Won
2016Ardas BhaeeBest Music VideoPeace Song Award [33]"Won
2016Let Me WeepBest Classical / Opera SongPeace Song Award[33]"Won

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Grammy Award Sangeeta Kaur". Grammy. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  2. ↑ ""For the first time, a Vietnamese-American singer, Sangeeta Kaur (Teresa Mai), has been nominated for the 64th Grammy Awards in the United States, for Best Vocal Classical Album." Lần đầu tiên một ca sĩ người Mỹ gốc Việt là Sanggeta Kaur (Teresa Mai) đã được đề cử vào giải Grammy lần thứ 64 tại Mỹ, với thể loại Album nhạc cổ điển có giọng hát hay nhất by Quỳnh Trân". Thanhnien. August 12, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Sangeeta Kaur - 'Compassion'". Indie Spoonful. October 11, 2018. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Sangeeta performs with special guest Jon Anderson from Yes, page E6, Star Tribune, October 15, 2021
  5. 1 2 "Kaur shot her first TV Special in May 2021 as part of the "Front & Center" music series and is scheduled for the 2021 season, page A14", The Democrat Times , December 15, 2021
  6. ↑ "Divine Tides". Mainly Piano by Kathy Parsons. December 10, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 "Sangeeta Kaur". High Res Audio. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  8. 1 2 "Sangeeta Kaur brings home Grammy gold to Austin and the Vietnamese community". Austin 360. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  9. 1 2 "Sangeeta Kaur – Compassion". The Ark of Music. August 2, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  10. 1 2 3 "New Age vocalist Sangeeta Kaur hopes to inspire humanity with her music". LA Times. October 11, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "Sangeeta Kaur". Wanderlust. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  12. 1 2 "Sangeeta Kaur". Spirit Voyage. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Peter Kater Wins Grammy Award for Best New Age Album". Valley Entertainment. January 29, 2018. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Sangeeta Kaur". Domo Music Group. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  15. 1 2 "Sangeeta Kaur - "Illuminance"". New Age Music. September 4, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  16. 1 2 "Singing Star Sangeeta Kaur Sets Her Sights on Austin with Wisdome 360 Immersive Dome Park". Triangle Magazine. March 14, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Music That Sticks to My Soul "Front and Center Presents Sangeeta Kaur and Friends by Jonathan Wildren". The JW Vibe. September 18, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  18. 1 2 "Sangeeta Kaur evolving into spiritual mega star by David N. Young". Sun News. September 30, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Teresa Mai Episode 114". Buddhist Opera. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Meet the Artists". VIETNAMESE AMERICAN PHILHARMONIC. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  21. ↑ "2021 KRI Honorees". Kundalini ResearchInstitute. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  22. ↑ "2021 KRI Honorees". Kundalini ResearchInstitute. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  23. 1 2 3 "MIRRORS Sangeeta Teresa Mai in Concert". Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  24. ↑ "InterContinental Music Award Winners 2021". InterContinental Music Awards. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  25. ↑ "Global Music Awards: Winners - December 2020". Global Music Awards. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  26. ↑ "THE 18TH INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS". Independent Music Awards. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  27. ↑ "2020 Winners". Zone Music Reporter. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  28. 1 2 3 "Illuminance with Sangeeta Kaur - Episode 293". Path 11. December 21, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  29. ↑ "2019 MUSIC GENRE NOMINEES". Hollywood Music in Media Nominees 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Outstanding Music Video "Ardas Bhea" Opening her heart to humanity, award-winning New Age singer-songwriter and producer Sangeeta Kaur by Jessica Leon". Actors Reporter. November 18, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  31. 1 2 3 4 "Indie Music Channel Winners 2019". Metro Media Worldwide. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  32. ↑ "Sangeeta Kaur global peace song awards winner Sangeeta Kaur Ascension – Niguma Volume 2/The Mantra Project". Contemporary Fusion Reviews. September 16, 2017. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  33. 1 2 3 ""Sangeeta Kaur Compassion Album Review by Dyan Garris". New Age CD. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
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