Nubya Garcia
NUBYA GARCIA RECENTLY MADE A VOW TO HERSELF: STOP WEARING BUSYNESS AS A BADGE OF HONOUR.
The non-stop nature of life as a touring musician was something the 29-year-old had been reckoning with for the past year or so. The focus began with ‘Pace’, a single she released in May 2020, and continued in her own time throughout the various stages of lockdown that followed. In many ways, it took the stillness that came with that period for the saxophonist, composer and bandleader to recognise how intense her routine had really been.
“It was just go, go, go, go – and be thankful that you’re going,” she says of her pre-Covid reality. “But times that by 365 days and that equals a burnout. I didn’t realise how much I put myself through.”
One of the most respected names in the new London jazz scene, Nubya has been at the forefront of the genre for the past five years. As a key part of a flourishing community of young instrumentalists – few of whom are women – her versatility and skill has seen her in high demand, with her imprint felt on an impressive list of projects on both sides of the Atlantic.
