For those unaware, in 2021, Anita Katakkar was invited to play at the Women From Space festival and it was there that she met Kayla Milmine. After this, Kayla and Anita played together for the radio play Music and the Shadow People by bassist William Parker. The music provided for this play was largely improvised and inspired by the script. It is through this experience the duet ‘Amrita’ was formed in late 2022. Amrita can be translated to mean nectar of immortality, in Sanskrit.

Rooted in North Indian classical music and modal jazz, their sound blends intricate rhythms, thematic melodies, and spontaneous improvisation. Amrita’s music is shaped by a shared love of odd time signatures, expressive tone, and the interplay of texture and emotion. Soprano saxophone supports the many tones and intricate rhythms that can be produced by a tabla (higher pitched drum) and baya (lower pitched drum). In turn the frequencies of the tabla and baya create a welcoming sonic space for Kayla’s sax.

Amrita will release this debut self-titled album on May 14th, 2026. The album is produced by Grammy Award–winning producer Justin Gray. This project is generously supported by the Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, and Canada Council for the Arts.

1. Take Flight [05:44]
2. Clinton Street 7 [06:45]
3. English Breakfast [05:52]
4. Dimension Jumping [04:20]
5. Heavy Bird [02:56]
6. Elephant Promenade I [09:20]
7. Elephant Promenade II [05:45]
8. Bon Chaton [07:10]
9. Metamorphosis [04:54]

With the band thanking their family, friends and teachers who supported them in rhythm, melody and silence, they open on the willowy Take Flight and then we get the joyfully sculpted Clinton Street 7, the gently spirited English Breakfast before we are gifted the rhythmically endearing Dimension Jumping.

Along next is an emotive yearn that threads throughout Heavy Bird which is in turn backed by the Asian-imbibed pairing of both Elephant Promenade I and Elephant Promenade II, the set rounding out on the impassioned rhythms that drive Bon Chaton, coming to a close on the delightfully airy swirls and affecting twirls of Metamorphosis.

AMRITA is:
Anita Katakkar - tabla
Kayla Milmine - soprano saxophone

Guest Artists:
Jonathan Kay - esraj (tracks 6, 7)
Zaynab Wilson - cajón (tracks 2, 4, 7, 9)

Official Purchase Link

Official Website