Nubya Garcia

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, R&B and whatever else Garcia wants to
convey. It all comes from a place of exploration and self-study, of wanting to do all the things across all
disciplines while ignoring arbitrary boxes that don’t fit.

Garcia’s sophomore album Odyssey, out in September 2024 via Concord Jazz, is a majestic feat on
which she blends orchestral arrangements with R&B, jazz, broken beat and dub, resulting in a grand,
nuanced record that feels airy and celestial without sacrificing the groove. It’s a deeply personal
offering about her trek to falling back in love with musical composition over the past four years.

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 hourlong 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.

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. 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); and on multiple podcasts (including
the theme tune for Anika Noni Rose’s Clio award-winning podcast Being Seen).