Jude Jeyaraj–Yesterdays

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tuh3TtNiCmg]

Jude Jeyaraj cannot identify himself with any one particular style of music. In his own words “Eastern music (and ragas) offer a spirituality that just cannot be found in Western music.” as a result  his music is very diverse.

Born on 18th September 1978  Jude spent his early years in the small town of Jaffna in North-eastern Sri Lanka. Whether running down its long sandy beach  chasing between the houses with his cousins and friends  or simply sitting alone on the lush green banks of one of the many rivers that sliced through the countryside  the young Jude felt that his home was a magical place.  At the age of five Jude’s father bought him a small percussion instrument called a mealam.

He took it everywhere  and was constantly playing  so much so that he fractured a finger and had to visit the hospital. To this day  a crooked digit bears witness to his early passion for creating sound. Jude himself finds it hard to explain where this passion came from. Perhaps  he has mused  the incredible array of sounds around him at this impressionable age; the babbling rivers  the chatter and shrieking of children  the crashing sea  or the noises of the towns daily life all entered him   planting the seeds of rhythm and melody?  By the age of seven Jude was playing the guitar  mimicking popular movie songs for his friends  his music developing through playing in the local church. The seeds were sprouting and growing.

At ten   Jude’s family migrated to London to escape the civil war raging in their homeland. Leaving his home  his friends and traditions were hard for the young boy.  A strange language  unfamiliar surroundings and the terrible cold were all tough on Jude  and to make matters worse his access to instruments and lessons were stopped dead  the cost of living in this grey land forcing sacrifices on the family.

The echoes of the music of his childhood now lay dormant inside him  trapped with no outlet  silenced by the roar of the city.  Two years on and Jude was given the opportunity by a local borough initiative to learn a new instrument  he picked the keyboard. His parents encouraged his learning and practice  seeing in their son a re- awakening of the passion that was so much a part of him back in their now seemingly idyllic life in Jaffna.

The lonely Jude threw himself into the instrument  the music becoming his companion and comforter  as well as his inspiration   and now he began to craft his own compositions as well as continue playing the movie songs he had entertained his friends with back home.

After some exposure in local shows  Jude was invited to join his first band “Rainbow” playing alongside  and then meeting more experienced musicians helped him develop both his musical knowledge and his performance skills. Jude continued to take formal classes to supplement his experience until  at the age of Seventeen  Jude performed his first solo show in front of a crowd of several thousand at Fairfield Hall London.

Since then  Jude has performed large shows all over Europe. He has taken to the stage with many top artists from all over the world  and has made a number of television appearances both in the educational and entertainment arenas.  Music has not been Jude’s only focus  he is a qualified Accountant and Financial Analyst working for one of the world’s largest Investment Banking companies, but there is no doubt that the seeds of Rhythm  sound and melody planted in him so long ago and so far away  have grown roots which have spread and entwined with the very essence of him.

Yesterday’s is the brand new single and is out now:

itunes link:

https://geo.itunes.apple.com/gb/album/yesterdays-single/id1120258469?mt=1&app=music