Pa – Ri Sa, Ni — Da Pa Ma Pa Sa, Ni — Da Pa Ma Pa,, Sa Ri…” I sang, over and over again, skipping cheerfully in the backyard. I was very young when I started my musical journey, about seven years old. Moon River was the first jazz song I learnt from my wonderful teacher, Mrs. Ramya Shankar, and I love the slow, thoughtful melody and the words that seem to just flow with power behind the sound. Over time, I better grasped the concept of Carnatic and Western fusion music, such as singing Moon River in “Swarams”. In my submission, I seamlessly move between English and Swarams to create a harmony of Indo Jazz.
Watch Siyona Vakkaleri sing Moon River – Indo Jazz by Henry Mancini for the 2025 Winter Music Competition as part of the Charleston International Music Competition.