Nubya Garcia

Nubya Garcia: A Unique Musical Identity

Nubya Garcia isn’t an artist you can easily classify. Is it jazz? Sure, the London-born saxophonist, composer and bandleader grew up studying the genre under the noted pianist Nikki Yeoh at Camden Music. But it isn’t until you listen to albums like 2020’s Source and 2024’s Odyssey that you hear broader creativity shining through: It’s jazz, classical, dub, Rt fit.

Odyssey: A Majestic Feat

Garcia's sophomore album Odyssey, out in September 2024 via Concord Jazz, is a majestic feat on which she blends orchestral arrangements with Rs a deeply personal offering about her trek to falling back in love with musical composition over the past four years.

Source: A Critical Acclaim

Source, her 2020 debut album, was released via Concord Jazz to massive critical acclaim, an NPR Tiny Desk (Home) Concert, a Pitchfork Best New Music review, and a Rolling Stone Album of the Month mention. In a profile, The New York Times called Source a sweeping set of jazz with Afro-Caribbean influences that funnels a life's worth of experiences into an hour-long listen. Also upon release, the album entered the UK charts in the Top 30, and she was just one of three artists selected to perform live at Glastonbury's 2020 Experience, which aired on the BBC to thousands of viewers. Source was also nominated for the Mercury Prize, a prestigious award given to the best albums from the UK or Ireland.

Touring and Collaborations

In 2022, Garcia toured the US in support of Khruangbin, performing in sold-out venues including Radio City Music Hall in New York, the Ryman in Nashville, and the Met in Philadelphia. She then headlined her own tour in the UK and US, performing at various festivals including Glastonbury, Love Supreme, Pickathon, and Newport Jazz.

Garcia continues to tour worldwide while also collaborating with major brands like Lululemon, Paul Smith, Labrum, Nicholas Daley, and Burberry. She was one of three creatives selected for Fossil's Moment In Time campaign, which was published globally in VOGUE, GQ, and GLAMOUR magazines.

Media Features and Compositions

Elsewhere, Garcia has been featured in numerous print publications, including Mojo, Vogue, and Ebony. As a composer, Garcia's original music has been placed with:

• Apple TV (Ted Lasso)
• OWN Network (Cherish The Day)
• FX TV (Atlanta)
• EPIC GAMES (Fortnite)
• Multiple podcasts (including the theme tune for Anika Noni Rose's Clio award-winning podcast Being Seen)