Daily Voice
By Zak Failla From Daily Voice
When Tinku Bhattacharyya suffered a hemorrhagic stroke on the night of Sunday, Oct. 12, everything changed in an instant for her and her husband, jazz pianist and professor Marc Cary.
According to Cary’s stepson, Ahmad Cary, emergency crews rushed Bhattacharyya to the hospital just before 10:15 p.m., where doctors performed an operation to open her skull and remove blood from the hemorrhage to relieve pressure on her brain.
“She spent the following 11 days in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit before being moved to the Intermediate Care Unit where she is currently being stabilized and prepped for Acute Rehabilitation,” Ahmad Cary wrote. “Tinku had an operation on Oct. 22 to replace her skull bone, which was removed during the initial operation."
"She is currently being fed through a feeding peg that was implanted on the 29th of October and will continue to be fed through the peg for the foreseeable future.”
Tinku Bhattacharyya
The family says Bhattacharyya lost a large portion of her mobility on the right side of her body and faces months of intensive physical therapy.
In an update shared from her hospital room, Marc Cary described the day-by-day fight of recovery — and the small victories that have meant everything.
“I am with her here in the hospital bedside as she works through this,” he wrote. “We are nearly ready in such a short time to go to acute rehabilitation, hopefully tomorrow or the next day. This is where the road to regaining her mobility and strength will be.
"Today (Tuesday, Nov. 4) was a great day — she had a test for swallowing to make sure she doesn’t choke while drinking or eating. It went well with apple sauce and a puree."
Tinku Bhattacharyya
"The first time ingesting food in 3 weeks."
Cary has been by his wife’s side since the night of the stroke, managing communication with hospital staff and keeping her business running while preparing their home for her return.
Tinku Bhattacharyya
Bhattacharyya’s impact on the music industry runs deep.
A 25-year veteran of artist management, production, and rights advocacy, she’s guided careers across continents and genres.
Born in the UK and based in both New York and Baltimore, Bhattacharyya has worked as an artist development mentor, manager, event producer, and activist.
Her company, Intrinsic Artists, describes her as an “international artist development mentor, manager, rights activist and events producer” whose roster has included Amp Fiddler, Peven Everett, Tortured Soul, Incognito, Sixto Rodriguez, Shuggie Otis, Stephanie McKay, and KING, the latter earning a 2017 Grammy nomination as the first fully independent artist in their category."
"She currently manages Marc Cary, Gary Bartz, and Melanie Charles, and has worked with music legends including Rakim, De La Soul, Wu-Tang Clan, Marlena Shaw, Johnny Clarke, Horace Andy, and Big Daddy Kane."
In 2012, the City of Los Angeles recognized Bhattacharyya for her contributions to preserving 1970s soul music.
According to her Maryland Arts Directory profile, she’s also played key roles in artist rights management, helping iconic performers such as Roy Ayers and Gary Bartz reconnect with royalties and providing guidance to emerging musicians on navigating complex ownership laws.
Tributes have poured in from around the jazz world — reflecting just how deeply Bhattacharyya’s work has touched others.
Lois Gilbert, a longtime friend and fellow industry voice, recalled first meeting Bhattacharyya at a pop-up event during the DC JazzFest in 2013.
“Tinku Bhattacharyya is a vibrant and critical part of our jazz family,” Gilbert wrote. “As soon as Marc started to introduce us, she said, ‘I recognize your voice from BBC Scotland.’ We became instant friends."
"She has done and will continue to provide wonderful support for so many musicians including Gary Bartz and Brandee A. Younger, Marc, and so many others. Now it's our time to support Tinku, Marc and our fam.”
Danny Melnick added, “Tinku has been an important part of the jazz scene for years. Please support her if you can. Sending love to Tinku and Marc and the family!”
According to Ahmad Cary, Bhattacharyya’s next phase of recovery will involve acute and sub-acute rehabilitation, followed by home care once she regains strength.
“The main focus in both acute and sub-acute care will be working to help Tinku regain her mobility,” he wrote in a GoFundMe set up for the family.
Her husband is preparing their home for her return — installing accessibility equipment and arranging care to help her transition safely back.
Financially, both Tinku and Marc are unable to work at the moment, relying on savings to cover living and medical expenses. Ahmad said they are seeking community support to offset the costs of recovery.
“There is no pension or retirement, and their savings are rapidly being whittled down as time moves on without either Marc or Tinku being able to work,” Ahmad wrote. “We are asking because there is no backup.”
More than $40,000 has been raised for the family in just two days, nearly reaching their $45,000 goal.
The GoFundMe can be found here.
"I will update everyone every step of the way," Marc Cary said. "Tinku thanks you and can feel all the love."
AlterNet