At SXSW 2018, Deva Mahal caught our attention with her soulful voice and lyrics. Her debut album, Run Deep, was released days later on March 23. But all of that was before she landed the top spot on the One Take leaderboard with 16 answers completed. Now we know so much more about her.
Among the answers Mahal revealed during our fun 60-second question-and-answer game, we learned her favorite city to visit on tour. Mahal replied, "Paris." Guess where New Morning is, the place she is playing July 20? Earlier this month she was also Apple Music France New Artist Of The Week, so we know there's a mutual love in France.
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Among the other tidbits we learned from her One Take answers was that Mahal enjoys listening to music in bed and that the last song she listened to was "Dancing On My Own" by Robyn, which happens to be Mahal's same answer to, "Song you wish you'd written."
Taken from Robyn's 2010 album Body Talk, that song was nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 53rd GRAMMY Awards, which seems a great point of inspiration as Mahal builds her own soulful music career.
With early childhood experience gigging and writing in the music world at first opened up for her by her father Taj Mahal, Deva Mahal's singular personality rings clearly and independently in her music. We look forward to the many directions she'll be inspired to travel as inspirations continue to move her … and we hope she enjoys Paris.
