Kalya Ramu

Kalya Ramu, Canadian jazz vocalist, composer, educator, and visual artist, has carved out a distinctive presence within Toronto's vibrant jazz community. From the age of 12, Kalya found herself immersed in the world of jazz, frequenting jam sessions and touring with community big bands. Her musical journey led her to study Jazz Performance at the esteemed Humber College in Toronto. A storyteller at heart, Kalya has a remarkable ability to reinvent classic jazz tunes while infusing her original compositions with fresh, evocative narratives.

In 2019, Kalya released her debut full-length album, "Living in a Dream", generously supported by FACTOR. Shortly after this release, the title track was featured on the soundtrack of CBC show "Frankie Drake Mysteries." Her second album, "Duo" (2021), is a close collaboration with pianist and composer Ewen Farncombe. The five-track album of original material highlights their artistic synergy. In the past year Kalya released two singles with Brazilian guitarist André Valério. The first, "Algo Contigo” (2023), features the composition of Argentinian songwriter Chico Novarro, and the second “Hold Me Close” (2024) is an original composition by Ramu and Valério and features the playing of flutist Rob Christian. Currently Kalya has been working on a brand new album called Trio, coming out on November 29 2024.

Kalya has shared the stage with several known jazz musicians such as Doc Severinsen, Barry Harris, Jackie Richardson, Reg Schwager, Brian Barlow, Ross MacIntyre, Ted Quinlan, George Koller, and John Sheard. Kalya has performed in venues across Toronto including the Jazz Bistro, Old Mill Toronto, Hugh’s Room, Lula Lounge, DROM Taberna and The Rex Hotel. She has been on the bill of many festivals including the PEC Jazz Festival, Kensington Jazz, TD Jazz, Jazz Sudbury, and the Brantford Jazz Festival and has graced the iconic stages of The Django (NYC), Ronnie Scotts (London), and Shablul Jazz Club (Tel Aviv).

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