Surya Botofasina by Dr. Joan Cartwright

I If sitting at the foot of greatness produces prodigies, then, Surya Botofasina got his musical prowess from two prolific women in music. His mother, Radha Botofasina, studied harp with the infamous Swamini Turiyasangitananda or simply Turiya, better known as Alice Coltrane to the world. Surya’s earliest musical memories were from three years old, listening to mantras on his mother’s lap. His musical training began at eight with pianist Aunt Ellen, his mother’s dear friend. Much later, he embraced music theory at the New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, founded by bassist Reggie Workman, in Manhattan, New York, in 1986.

Needless to say, the young pianist chosen to accompany André 3000 on his New Blue Sun Tour found his universal flavor at the knee of Radha, Alice, Reggie, and other profound musicians from the U.S. and India. Throughout his life, he traveled with his mother to Delhi, Bangalore, and other provinces in India to visit the avatar Sai Baba at various ashrams. He in California, where he ran track and played basketball in high school. But music was the calling that led him to his residence in New York City.

I asked why he loved working with his mother so much. He said, “I know that being able to work with my parents may not be possible every day of my life. So, I want to take advantage of the time that we still have the ability, agility, and mobility to work, be in contact, and collaborate with each other. That’s what I’m going to hold on to and that’s what my children will be able to hold on to. I’d like to know that for one day, one hour, one week, one concert, or one album we did that together.”

Surya Botofasina by Dr. Joan Cartwright (con’t)

Surya’s musical catalogue includes thousands of songs. His publishing company is Cali Mandir Child Music with SESAC. He composed music for commercials, films, and albums. Two of his CDs were produced by Carlos Niño, who is also on the tour. Surya recorded four collaborations, two features, and one album with his mother in 2010, Aspirations of the Heart. “I work with my mother. I’m nothing without her. I always enjoy making music with her. We take advantage of our time together.”

Other women who graced projects with Surya are saxophonist Lakeshia Benjamin and harpist Brandee Younger. Radha provided vocals for some of his recordings, as well. He engaged other women on his recordings who were not on stage with him but who embellished the music he composed.

His experiences with Radha and Swamini made him cognizant of the underestimation of women in the music industry. “There’s no words for the amount of dynamic action they both put into their own albums and other music that they were responsible for or influenced,” Surya contended. He called the women he made music with “My sisters in the battle,” stating that “Lakeshia and Brandee are dynamic musicians on their own and they don’t need any validation from anybody. Yet, I’ve seen both of them underestimated and marginalized at different times.”

While many young musicians avoid the same stages as their parents, for Surya, “I realized early on that competition is an extension of my ego. I’ve been given life and breath, and I give my all to redeem that.”

Surya said the New Blue Sun Tour brought him to Atlanta to perform for the first time in his career. He acknowledged that “there’s a lot of civil rights history, here. A lot of blood has been taken in lynching trees and Stone Mountain atrocities.”

He’s also aware that Hip Hop producers exposed a lot of that history to the younger generations. Surya suggested that young musicians must, “believe in yourself at all costs. Don’t listen to anyone who says you’re not doing this right. Do it your way and you will be fine.” He said that’s the best advice he ever got from one of his mentors.

Surya Botofasina