The Essential Asha Puthli

A new compilation devoted to the charismatic, underappreciated Indian jazz singer captures her sizzling spirit and illustrates the breadth of her musicianship

- VRINDA JAGOTA

Asha Puthli is a spark of a person: a provocative, self-possessed diva who gargled with champagne, identified her age as "spiritually 6,000" and "emotionally five," and obtained a visa to stay in the United States by asking a stranger she met at the Museum of Modern Art to marry her. Unsurprisingly, the socialites and artists of the 1970s were drawn to her: The Indian Jazz singer was friends with Salvador Dalí and Andy Warhol, a muse to Manolo Blahnik, and a sartorial influence for Debbie Harry.

But despite her outstanding cultural impact and kinetic vocal performances, Puthli always skirted mainstream fame. Over the last few decades, her music has had a minor resurgence: The Notorious B.I.G., Diddy, 50 Cent, and the Pharcyde all sampled her psychedelic, slinky Space Talk, and she's appeared on a few electronica releases. Still, her name remains largely unknown.

The Essential Asha Puthli, a new compilation from British imprint Mr Bongo, captures her sizzling spirit and illustrates the breadth of her musicianship, spanning her gritty early covers, her bombastic disco numbers, and her winding Jazz vocalisations. The compilation also serves as a document of a captivating woman learning to fully indulge her artistic, romantic, and aesthetic desires.