Pranava Maharaj, who goes by stage name Nava, is an independent R&B artist & producer based in Trinidad and Tobago. At eleven years old, Nava won a music competition and his career continued to skyrocket from there. After catching the attention of Soca superstar Machel Montano, Nava toured all over the world with Montano, performing at places such as Radio City Music Hall in New York and the Crop Over Festival in Barbados. He collaborated with Montano on the Soca hit “Festival” in 2015 and performed at the Trinidad Carnival. Nava has since been experimenting with his sound and has worked with other Trinidadian urban artists Kaz and Freshmxn.
He has also put out a few singles, two of which are featured on his latest release. Nava’s 6 track project “Now(here);” has finally arrived and is nothing less than stunning comfortably fitting into the modern electronic driven urban sound.
“Now(here);” is a breath of fresh air with all of the low quality R&B music that’s on the radio waves now. Nava truly delivers both vocally and melodically. He perfectly binds his electro R&B sound with more adventurous melodies and instrumentation. You will flat out love it.
Nava’s flawless vocals and the silky smooth vibe put this one in the conversation for best R&B EP of 2018. The album itself is more about progression than imitation. Right from the haunting opening track, “Are You?”, Nava is fiery and flamboyant, quickly establishing himself as one-man entertainment powerhouse, building verses of provocative allusions and enviable choruses.
Layering contemporary musicality over time-honored narratives on “Alright” and “Blind”, he sifts through the facets of the human experience, elucidating the personal, the relational and the sublime.
From the self-possessed inebriation of “Right One”, to the sensual falsetto of “This Way”, and the sultry heartbreaker “Pon Road”, Nava demonstrates the factors that will endear him to fans and make this recording so highly sought after: personality and prowess.
The soulful stars have aligned, and the rhythmic gods have showed up on this recording. For those skeptical as to whether this melodic miracle actually happens, it does!
Awe-inspiring for his incredible vocal range and impeccable songwriting skills – true to form, Nava shows all of it on this recording. He has embarked on a musical voyage with “Now(here);” in a vessel designed for him to steer.
In a wondrous sonic hybrid of production techniques, he shifts gears through weaving lyrics of doubt and affirmation, buoyed by the overtones of his mellifluous vocal style. All contributing to the superb fabric of this EP. This is a vibrant portrait of an artist on a quest to cultivate a creative statement as an individual.
In the undercurrent, “Now(here);” seems to address the need, the desire, and the difficulty to have someone who compliments you spiritually, emotionally, intellectually and physically, and it is quite the groove, with its emotional turbulence.
Nava’s dizzying vocal range is unfurled to its full potential throughout. But what he doesn’t lack – refinement, charisma and finely-honed musicianship – is what will satisfy fans’ palettes more than anything else. As the EP slides into heavy rotation, it will leave everyone anticipating what the man will serve up next.
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