Asha Puthli

Asha Puthli, born on February 4, 1945, in India, is a singer-songwriter, producer, and actress who began her musical journey with training in Indian classical music and opera. She moved to New York from Mumbai with a dance scholarship and a demo tape of Indo-Japanese fusion songs. In 1970, she was signed to CBS Records and released several solo albums. Her debut album, Asha Puthli (1973), included cover versions of songs by JJ Cale and Bill Withers. She collaborated with Ornette Coleman on his album Science Fiction (1972), for which she shared the DownBeat Critics' Poll award for Best Female Jazz Vocalist. Her third solo album, The Devil is Loose (1976), was praised by critics. Puthli also starred in films directed by Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, as well as Bruno Corbucci. In 2025, she was inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame. She released a joint single with Say She She, "Pawa!" in 2026.