artist Autorickshaw

autorickshaw's music lies on the cultural cutting edge, as contemporary jazz and funk easily rub shoulders with the classical and popular music of India. Formed in 2003, autorickshaw has swiftly risen to become one of the most intriguing acts on the world music and jazz landscapes, garnering a 2004 JUNO nomination for World Music Album of the Year, and winning a Canadian Independent Music Award in 2005.

The ensemble consists of a mash-up of four of Canada’s most exciting and musically interesting young musicians: vocalist Suba Sankaran, tabla player Ed Hanley, bassist Rich Brown and exotic percussionist Patrick Graham. All four have achieved excellence on their respective instruments, and when their forces are combined, the results are “utterly unique and musically pioneering”. -Daniel Ariaratnam, The Record

autorickshaw has toured extensively across Canada, including appearances at the Montreal, Vancouver, Guelph, Calgary and Toronto Jazz Festivals, the Vancouver and Winnipeg Folk Festivals, The Glenn Gould Studio, The Stratford Festival and the Sound Symposium in Newfoundland.

International performances include Joe’s Pub in New York City and the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, The Stockholm Jazz Festival in Sweden and dates across India including Chennai and Bangalore, at the Congo Square Jazz Festival in Kolkata, and at the prestigious Jaipur International Heritage Festival in Rajasthan.

Widely reviewed and profiled in mainstream Canadian media, autorickshaw has also been featured internationally, including on NPR’s Weekend America, in Global Rhythm Magazine and All About Jazz (USA); World Music Magazine (Italy), fRoots (UK), Rave Magazine and The Hindu (India); Deutschland Radio Kultur (Germany) as well as appearing at #14 on the World Music Charts Europe.

Autorickshaw is committed to their role as music educators through school performances, lecture demonstrations, workshops and masterclasses on topics as diverse as jazz improvisation, south Indian and western vocal technique and percussion from around the world.

"seriously talented musicians who weave a tapestry of musical traditions into a unique and inspiring sonic alchemy. Absolutely beautiful."
-Dave O’Rama, CHLY FM

Suba Sankaran voice, piano, percussion
Ed Hanley tabla
Rich Brown bass
Patrick Graham percussion