drummer | composer | educator
DEBUT ALBUM AGNEYA (2026) OUT NOW!
Toronto Arts Foundation's 2026 Breakthrough Artist Agneya is an Indian-Canadian percussionist and composer whose debut album AGNEYA (2026) blends South Asian rhythmic cycles with contemporary improvisation, cinematic textures, and global grooves. His music reflects his diasporic identity and belief in rhythm as a shared language, inviting audiences into a sound world that is groove-driven, meditative, and expansive. AGNEYA (2026) features 15 musicians from around the world, including Ingrid Jensen, Rich Brown, Eliana Cuevas, Rolf Zielke, Shirantha Beddage & Varun Venkit.
If you like what you've heard and want to own the record, buy it on BANDCAMP
"His music is a whirlwind of sounds, overwhelming in the best way with how much Agneya throws at you all at once" - NEXT Magazine
"It is a busy, densely populated record and it asks for attention. For a first outing under his own name, it is an unusually complete statement of intent." - UKVibe
"Timing is everything in music – not just when playing. Sometimes it's about seizing opportunities. The career of drummer Agneya Chikte is a good example." - JAZZthing
"Agneya's debut is not a musical calling card in the classical sense. Rather, it demonstrates how many experiences can be necessary before a unique musical language emerges." - jazz-fun.de
“Agneya has an artistic voice that is fresh, globally informed, and unmistakably his own. His ability to integrate diverse rhythmic and cultural influences while remaining grounded in the pillars of jazz has always stood out to me.” - Larnell Lewis (Grammy Award-winning drummer)