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Key Information

Anjani Thomas (born July 10, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist, best known for her work with singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, as well as Carl Anderson, Frank Gambale, and Stanley Clarke. She became a solo artist in 2000.

Life

[edit]

Anjani was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she trained in guitar, piano and voice. She attended Berklee College of Music for a year then moved to New York City to a pursue a music career. She performed in jazz clubs before meeting producer John Lissauer, who hired her to provide backup vocals on Leonard Cohen's influential song "Hallelujah" from Various Positions. Anjani went on to tour with Cohen in 1985, as his keyboardist and backup vocalist, and worked with Cohen for many years after, lending her talents to I'm Your Man, The Future, Dear Heather and Old Ideas.[1]

Anjani launched a solo career with Anjani in 2000 followed by The Sacred Names in 2001 – an ode to the Aramaic, Greek and Hebrew names of God.[2] In 2006, Cohen contributed lyrics and production talents to Anjani's music and arrangements for Blue Alert on Columbia Records. The song "Blue Alert" was used in a 2007 Old Navy TV spot.[3]

In 2011, Anjani began working on a follow-up to Blue Alert, which continued the collaboration with Leonard Cohen on three new songs. The new record, I Came to Love, was released in download-only form in July 2014.[4]

Discography

[edit]
  • Anjani (Little Fountain Music, 2000)
  • The Sacred Names (Little Fountain Music, 2001)
  • Blue Alert (Columbia, 2006)
  • I Came to Love (2014)

References

[edit]
[edit]
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Anjani

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Anjani Thomas (born July 10, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Born in , , she began her musical journey at age four with the and later studied voice, guitar, and . Thomas is best known for her long collaboration with , providing backup vocals on his albums and tours starting in the 1980s, contributing to records like I'm Your Man (1988) and The Future (1992), and co-writing her album Blue Alert (2006), which Cohen produced. She has released several solo albums, including Anjani (2003) and I Came to Love (2014).

Early life

Childhood in Hawaii

Anjani Thomas was born on July 10, 1959, in , , to parents employed in . She grew up in a middle-class household alongside two brothers and one sister, immersed in the vibrant multicultural environment of the islands. From an early age, Thomas was exposed to Hawaiian music traditions and the eclectic array of sounds characteristic of island life, including influences from diverse ethnic communities in Oahu. These surroundings fostered a natural affinity for melody and rhythm in her formative years. A pivotal moment came at age four, when she first picked up a in her childhood home, igniting a passion for music that would define her path. This simple act of curiosity marked the beginning of her lifelong engagement with performance and song.

Musical education and early influences

Anjani Thomas's musical education began in earnest during her teenage years in , where she pursued formal studies in voice, guitar, and , complementing her initial foray into music at age four with the . She learned guitar through local television programs, which introduced her to foundational folk songs such as "" and "." She also studied as a young girl. Growing up in , Anjani's early influences drew heavily from the island's vibrant cultural tapestry, including , folk, and traditional Hawaiian music absorbed via local radio and artists. She was particularly shaped by 1970s singer-songwriters like , as well as the folk traditions her mother shared through songs by , fostering a deep-rooted folk sensibility. Exposure to R&B, pop, and further broadened her horizons during , blending seamlessly with Hawaiian elements to inform her emerging style. Anjani's initial performances took place in school settings and local venues during her high school years at Roosevelt High School, where she sang and played , often joining a band for weekend gigs. These experiences, rooted in her Hawaiian upbringing, provided practical outlets for her growing talents and built confidence in live settings. At age 17, just before graduating high school, Anjani sought wider horizons and relocated to the mainland , to for a year of study at . She soon moved to , where she continued performing in clubs and began initial songwriting experiments, culminating in a few independent recordings made back in prior to her major breakthroughs.

Career

Session and backup work

Anjani's professional career in music began with session and backup work after she relocated to in the early to access greater studio opportunities in the city's dynamic recording environment. Her background in musical training, including studies at the , equipped her with the versatility needed for supporting roles across genres. Her breakthrough came in 1984 when producer John Lissauer hired her as a backup vocalist for Leonard Cohen's album Various Positions, providing vocals on tracks including the now-iconic "Hallelujah." This marked her first major gig and introduced her talents to a wider audience within the folk and pop music scenes. The experience not only highlighted her vocal range but also led to further involvement, such as performing as keyboardist and backup singer on Cohen's 1984–1985 world tour supporting the album. Through these early supporting contributions, Anjani established a foundation in the industry, contributing to various and pop sessions in New York while honing her skills as a before pursuing solo projects.

Collaboration with Leonard Cohen

Anjani Thomas's professional collaboration with began in 1984 when she joined his World Tour as a backup vocalist and keyboardist, providing harmonies on key tracks such as the original recording of "." This initial role marked the start of a decades-long partnership that saw her contribute vocals to several of Cohen's albums, including background harmonies on I'm Your Man (1988), additional vocals on The Future (1992), and lead vocals on the track "Undertow" from (2004). By the early 2000s, their working relationship had evolved into a deeper creative synergy, with Thomas influencing Cohen's compositions through her musical arrangements and interpretations. On , she not only sang lead on "Undertow" but also collaborated on the album's sparse, intimate sound, reflecting her jazz-inflected style. This phase culminated in the co-production of Thomas's own album Blue Alert (2006), where supplied lyrics for all ten tracks, drawing from his personal journals to craft bittersweet love songs set to her melodies and minimalistic arrangements. The album, produced by alongside Thomas and engineer , highlighted her smoky, emotive vocals against hypnotic instrumentation, establishing her as a vital interpretive force in his oeuvre. Their joint songwriting extended beyond Blue Alert, with Thomas co-crediting compositions like "Thanks for the Dance," originally recorded with her vocals on the 2006 album. Following Cohen's death in 2016, this track was reimagined as the title song for his posthumous album (2019), completed by his son Adam Cohen using archival recordings and new sessions, underscoring the enduring impact of their partnership.

Solo albums and independent projects

Anjani launched her solo career with the self-released album Anjani in 2000 through Little Fountain Music, blending , folk, and in a collection of original, reflective songs. The album incorporates diverse instrumentation, including by Ozzie Kotani on the track "," alongside contributions from artists such as and . In 2001, she followed with The Sacred Names, another self-released project on Little Fountain Music, consisting of ten songs that honor the Hebrew, , and Greek names of God, emphasizing themes of spiritual reverence and compassion through her vocals paired with . Anjani explored cultural fusion in the 2012 EP Okinawa Time, an independent collaboration with that merges , , and folk elements with Okinawan influences, featuring artists like Rinken Band and Tomoko Teruya. After a period of hiatus, Anjani returned in 2014 with the self-released I Came to Love, a ten-track that chronicles personal growth and the emotional path through passion, challenges, and , with production support from musicians including and Larry Campbell.

Musical style and themes

Genres and vocal approach

Anjani's primarily encompasses and , blended with elements of folk, Hawaiian infusions, and subtle pop sensibilities that reflect her diverse influences. Her genre fusion draws from jazz traditions while incorporating the melodic warmth of Hawaiian , which she encountered in her early years in , creating a sound that balances introspection with accessibility. This approach is evident in her ability to weave folk simplicity with , often evoking a serene, lounge-like atmosphere without veering into overly experimental territory. Her vocal style is characterized by a breathy, intimate delivery that prioritizes emotional nuance over vocal acrobatics, allowing her voice to serve as a conduit for subtle expression. With impeccable phrasing and a smoky-silky , Anjani establishes a direct, almost connection with listeners, often described as quiet yet powerfully evocative. This technique emphasizes , where her breathy tones interact seamlessly with sparse arrangements to heighten vulnerability and immediacy in performance. Instrumentally, Anjani centers her work around , which acts as both and structural foundation, underscoring her vocal lines with elegant, understated chords. Occasional nods to her Hawaiian roots appear through elements, adding a light, rhythmic texture that infuses her jazz-folk hybrid with cultural resonance. This piano-dominant strips away excess, focusing on the interplay between voice and keys to cultivate an atmosphere of quiet elegance. Over time, Anjani's approach evolved from versatile session and backup contributions, where she adapted to various ensemble dynamics, to a more stripped-down solo intimacy in her independent projects starting in the . This shift allowed her to foreground her piano-vocal , moving toward recordings with minimal instrumentation that amplify her interpretive depth and personal artistry. The result is a mature style that prioritizes emotional directness, marking a departure from broader collaborative breadth to focused, heartfelt minimalism.

Lyrical content and artistic evolution

Anjani's lyrical content frequently explores recurring themes of , , loss, and , often rooted in her personal experiences as a means of emotional processing and self-discovery. In her album The Sacred Names (2001), these elements manifest through meditative chants invoking divine names across various traditions, creating an intimate, devotional atmosphere that reflects her early spiritual explorations and Hawaiian roots. This work establishes a foundation of inward reflection, drawing from personal rituals of healing and connection to the sacred, which would inform her subsequent output. Her artistic evolution traces a progression from these ethereal, chant-like expressions to more grounded romantic narratives, particularly evident in Blue Alert (2006), where she adapts Leonard Cohen's unpublished lyrics into songs of bittersweet longing and melancholy farewells. This album marks a transitional phase, using Cohen's poetic fragments—gathered from his journals—as a bridge to develop her own voice, blending introspection with mature explorations of love's impermanence and relational closure. Beyond this collaboration, her work continues to mature, as seen in later projects that deepen personal storytelling while maintaining emotional vulnerability. I Came to Love (2014) presents healing narratives that weave themes of loss and renewal into a "travelogue of the heart," rich in wisdom and beauty derived from lived introspection. Three co-written tracks with Cohen further illustrate this evolution, affirming a sustained creative that amplifies her shift toward resilient, autobiographical .

Personal life

Relationship with

Anjani Thomas and entered into a romantic partnership in the late 1990s, evolving from their initial professional collaboration, and it endured until Cohen's death on November 7, 2016. The couple shared living arrangements between Cohen's home in and periods of spiritual seclusion. Emotionally, Thomas served as Cohen's muse and confidante, fostering a bond of mutual artistic inspiration and providing stability amid his personal and creative challenges. After Cohen's passing, Thomas assumed a key role as co-trustee of his estate alongside his children, and Lorca Cohen. In February 2025, she contributed personal mementos from her collection to Julien's Auctions' "Celebrating Leonard Cohen" sale, including a gold containing a lock of his .

Later years and public profile

Following 's death in 2016, Anjani Thomas has maintained a notably reclusive public profile, prioritizing personal privacy and spiritual pursuits over musical endeavors. She has contributed select personal items from her collection to tribute events honoring Cohen, including photographs, handwritten letters, and jewelry he gifted her, featured in Julien's Auctions' "Celebrating Leonard Cohen" sale held on February 28, 2025, in . These appearances remain sparse, with no major interviews or performances documented since 2016, underscoring her deliberate withdrawal from the spotlight. Thomas, who shared a long-term creative and personal partnership with Cohen, has shifted focus to independent wellness practices, drawing from her recovery from a nine-year battle with facial neuralgia that concluded around 2016. Based in , she now offers intuitive guidance sessions emphasizing esoteric modalities such as and toning, and channel balancing, and flower essences to support clients in clearing blocks and fostering inner growth. Her website describes this work as a means to provide " and to problems or questions," reflecting a broader artistic evolution toward somatic and spiritual rather than public performance. As of 2025, continues to oversee aspects of Cohen's legacy through her designated role as a successor co-trustee in his original estate trust, amid ongoing family disputes over its administration. This involvement highlights her enduring connection to Cohen's affairs while she sustains a private life centered on personal transformation and selective tributes to his memory.

Discography

Studio albums

Anjani's studio discography consists of four solo albums released over a span of 14 years, each reflecting her evolving style from intimate jazz-folk explorations to collaborative songwriting with and later personal reflections. These releases, primarily on independent labels except for one major-label effort, highlight her work as a and . Her debut album, Anjani, was released on September 12, 2000, by the independent label Little Fountain Music. This jazz-folk record features 10 original tracks, including "," "How I Love You," and "," establishing her signature blend of acoustic intimacy and smooth vocals. The album was self-released and produced in a minimalist style, drawing on her Hawaiian roots and diverse influences. The follow-up, The Sacred Names, appeared on May 6, 2001, also via Little Fountain Music, and was self-produced by Anjani. Comprising 10 tracks of spiritual chants and improvisations, such as "Goel Shekinah," "," and "," the album explores sacred themes across religious traditions with ethereal piano and vocal arrangements. It received limited distribution but garnered praise for its meditative quality. In 2006, Anjani achieved wider recognition with Blue Alert, her only major-label release on , co-produced by and . The album includes 10 songs set to lyrics by Cohen, like the title track and "No One After You," performed in a jazz-pop vein with subtle instrumentation; it debuted at No. 16 on the Top Jazz Albums chart. This collaboration marked a career milestone, blending her poised delivery with Cohen's poetic sensibility. Anjani's most recent studio album, I Came to Love, emerged independently on Little Fountain Music in 2014, produced by Jerry Marotta. Featuring 10 reflective tracks such as "Standing on the Stairs," "Holy Ground," and the title song, it chronicles personal growth and introspection through folk-infused arrangements with nylon guitar and keyboards. The release emphasized her artistic independence following earlier partnerships.

Guest appearances and contributions

Anjani Thomas provided backing vocals on Leonard Cohen's 1984 album , contributing to tracks such as "Hallelujah." On Cohen's 1988 album I'm Your Man, she delivered featured vocals on several songs, including "Ain't No Cure for Love" and "I Can't Forget." Thomas supplied backing vocals for Cohen's 1992 release The Future, enhancing the atmospheric layers on the title track and others. For the 2004 album , Thomas co-produced the record alongside Ed Sanders and performed vocals and piano on multiple tracks, including "Morning Glory" and the title song. In the posthumous Leonard Cohen album (2019), Thomas featured prominently through her composition of the music for the title track, originally recorded on her 2006 album Blue Alert, with archival elements integrated into the final production.

References

  1. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anjani-mn0000479378
  2. https://anjani-music.com/about-anjani/
  3. http://www.leonardcohenforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=8587
  4. https://www.puremusic.com/pdf/anjani.pdf
  5. https://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Jun/13/il/FP606130308.html
  6. https://allanshowalter.com/2021/09/22/the-anjani-chronicles-growing-up-anjani/
  7. https://archives.starbulletin.com/2006/06/30/features/story03.html
  8. https://jazztimes.com/reviews/anjani/anjani-blue-alert/
  9. https://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/anjani.html
  10. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/21/arts/music/in-anjani-thomas-leonard-cohen-finds-a-new-voice.html
  11. https://sony.mediaroom.com/2006-02-01-Columbia-Records-Readies-the-Release-of-Blue-Alert-the-Major-Label-Debut-Album-from-Anjani-Thomas
  12. https://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/balert.html
  13. https://genius.com/Leonard-cohen-thanks-for-the-dance-lyrics
  14. https://www.newworldbuzz.com/interviews/anjani.html
  15. https://anjani-music.com/music/
  16. https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-sacred-names-mw0000748800
  17. https://www.discogs.com/release/29136037-Anjani-I-Came-To-Love
  18. https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-anjani-6094819.html
  19. http://www.webheights.net/bluealert/press/star.html
  20. https://variety.com/2007/music/reviews/anjani-1200559761/
  21. https://puremusic.com/75anjani1.html
  22. https://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-alert-mw0000731172
  23. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/apr/29/popandrock.features1
  24. https://www.leonardcohenforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=8587
  25. https://wearsthetrousers.wordpress.com/2008/07/08/sometimes-you-just-get-very-lucky/
  26. https://www.juliensauctions.com/en/articles/anjani-thomas-more-than-a-muse-creative-force-in-leonard-cohen-s-world
  27. https://nypost.com/2022/12/12/leonard-cohens-kids-in-battle-over-singers-48m-estate/
  28. https://www.juliensauctions.com/en/auctions/celebrating-leonard-cohen-593
  29. https://www.anjanithomas.com/about
  30. https://www.anjanithomas.com/sessions
  31. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2025-02-14/leonard-cohen-children-claim-fraud-and-forgery-over-singer-songwriter-trust
  32. https://www.juliensauctions.com/en/articles/a-symphony-of-memories-julien-s-celebrates-leonard-cohen-with-historic-auction
  33. https://www.discogs.com/release/2652694-Anjani-Anjani
  34. https://www.discogs.com/release/2652682-Anjani-Thomas-The-Sacred-Names
  35. https://open.spotify.com/album/0ffuzTaYQcY5H0NZpMXGBE
  36. https://www.discogs.com/release/887469-Anjani-Blue-Alert
  37. https://open.spotify.com/album/6JESD6QocpSRX6mMXj26Tq
  38. https://www.discogs.com/release/6263785-Leonard-Cohen-Various-Positions
  39. https://www.discogs.com/release/340009-Leonard-Cohen-Im-Your-Man
  40. https://www.discogs.com/release/7520549-Leonard-Cohen-The-Future
  41. https://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/dearheather.html
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