Kalyani Singh is overjoyed to be performing at The Duplex Cabaret Theatre for a second time. Her warbling voice, diverse melodies, and poetic lyrics transport her audiences across time, space, and a panorama of emotional colors. Her unique musical style includes a breadth of influences from Joni Mitchell and Laura Marling to Broadway and Disney. Since the beginning of her songwriting career at age 13, she has released two independent EPs in the last two years, entitled “You and I” and “Caught in a Blackout.”

Every soon-to-be college graduate faces the daunting task of “choosing” what the rest of one’s life is going to look like. At twenty-one years old, Kalyani Singh calls herself by many names: actor, singer-songwriter, political and social activist, and comedian (a controversial label). In a year, she mostly hopes to find herself employed in NYC at the intersection of art and politics while being able to continue her greatest love of performing—but really, who knows what will happen? For artists, New York is where either dreams come to flourish or die in a studio apartment infested with reptilian insects. No in-between.

In the intimate setting of the cabaret theatre, Kalyani has enjoyed the close connection made between the artist and audience through music. Most people must go through this transition between college and the “real world”—her performances bring together diverse individuals to form a community, sharing in art and universal life experiences.