Rajna Swaminathan

Rajna Swaminathan emerged during the 2000s as a leading exponent of the South Indian mridangam, drawing notice for her distinctive fusion of Indian classical traditions with jazz elements. As a protégé of master percussionist Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, she has contributed to projects alongside pianist Vijay Iyer, trumpeter Amir ElSaffar, and vocalist Ganavya Doraiswamy. Her first album under her own name, Of Agency and Abstraction, appeared in 2019 and showcased the RAJAS ensemble.

Born in Maryland in 1991, Swaminathan was raised in a household steeped in music, with a mother who performed vocal music and a father who played the mridangam. Encouraged alongside her sister, violinist Anjna Swaminathan, she developed an early fascination with the mridangam around age five. Because her hands lacked sufficient strength at first, she supplemented her training with piano lessons during her school years. She later studied under veteran mridangam artist Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, making periodic trips to India during school breaks to deepen her practice. Swaminathan also pursued training in Carnatic vocal music and Bharatanatyam dance. Following secondary school she completed undergraduate studies in anthropology and French at the University of Maryland, College Park, while gaining stage experience through the Ragamala Dance Company. In 2008 she recorded the Indian classical album The Sixth Element.

A 2012 research grant brought Swaminathan to New York City to explore jazz, where she connected with pianist Vijay Iyer, saxophonist Steve Coleman, and trumpeter Amir ElSaffar, all of whom she has continued to work with in subsequent years. She also composed the score for playwright and actress Anu Yadav’s solo production Meena’s Dream, which was released in 2015 under the title The Worry Machine. Outside of performance, Swaminathan conducts workshops focused on South Indian rhythmic concepts, presenting sessions at the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music as well as the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. She has furthered her academic work by pursuing a doctorate in music at Harvard University. The 2019 release Of Agency and Abstraction featured her RAJAS ensemble, including her sister, guitarist Miles Okazaki, bassist Stephan Crump, saxophonist María Grand, and guest appearances by ElSaffar and vocalist Ganavya Doraiswamy.