You were one of the two nominees from India
at the 61st Grammy’s this year. How was
the experience and how did you feel?
The experience was truly humbling and I was deeply
honored to be nominated. I was representing every
Indian globally and I was committed to representing
India in its highest form. It was a proud moment
for me as I was born and raised in India and felt
closer to my motherland more than ever before.
It was very special to have this opportunity to
be a voice for upwards of 1.3 billion people.
Tell more us about your album Falu’s
Bazaar.. What were your best moments
from making of the album?
Falu's Bazaar is a family album made for both kids
and parents to enjoy together. It draws from Indian
and American cultures and educates children about
South Asian food, experiences, and music while having
fun. When my 4 year old son Nishaad came home from
his preschool with questions like, “why is our food
yellow?” or “why do we speak a different language at
home?”, I started answering his question by writing
these songs. Instead of having a block around his
identity, I wanted the album to help him realize he
should feel proud of his culture and be happy to speak
two languages. The moment my son's curosity at
school turned into pride, I realized what a gift making
this album was for me as a mother and an artist.
What are some important attributes
or criteria one must keep in mind
while applying to the Grammys?
Be honest in your submission and make sure
you submit your music in the right category, as
there are dozens of them. Your music needs to be
submitted in the category that it truly belongs to.
What were some of the challenges you faced
when you first started out as a musician?
When I first started I had deep culture shock. I wanted
to learn the American way of doing business and
music while drawing from my Indian traditions,
which was truly challenging. Finding a balance while
doing this was tricky because music is so subjective.
I had to work odd jobs to monetarily make ends meet.
I was committed to making a name for myself in
the American music industry, which I found to be
challenging as a minority, first-generation immigrant
and brown woman. I had to get in front of the right
people at the right time doing the right projects. It all
took a lot of hard work and tremendous patience.
You trained under the legendary Ustad Sultan
Khan. What were your biggest learnings from him?
Khan saheb taught me patience and perseverance.
He showed me that if I fully believed in something
and completely surrendered to that task, I
can achieve it - be it riyaz and or passion for
making Indian music a household name.
What does Falu’s practice routine look like?
When I was a teenager, I practiced 16 hours of riyaz
everyday. Now that I have all these responsibilities
of being a professional artist, wife, and mother,
I have to divide my time very thoughtfully and
strategically. Balancing three hats is difficult for
every working woman but I always find time to
practice everyday. Even if it is only for an hour. I
learned from my teachers, "riyaz ke bina sona nahi".
How was the experience performing at the White
House for Michelle Obama? Were you excited?
Michelle Obama and Barack Obama are two
of the most genuine, real, and generous people
I know. They welcomed us to their home with
such love and respect for three days. I truly loved
making music with the National Symphony
Orchestra and of course the legendary A. R
Rahman with whom I sang at the White House.
How do you constantly improve your art
form and ensure you’re abreast with the
latest happenings in the industry?
Social media is a big tool to keep myself informed with
any news happening in the music world. I also use it to
network with industry folks on a regular basis. With
regards to my art, I have to keep pushing boundaries
around what I'm doing and how far I can take my music.
That involves a lot of soul searching and I make sure
I take certain days off just to think about all of that.
If there was one song you could pick
from the album Falu’s Bazaar, which you
think defines the story you had created
in its purest sense, what would it be?
"Rainbow" - It's a song in a seven-beat cycle and it is in
two languages - English and Hindi. It teaches kids in
fun ways about some of the beautiful things that we
have on planet earth that revolve around the number 7
(Seven continents, days, colors, oceans, musical notes)
Your message to aspiring artists in your space
Dream big never give up
RAPID FIRE
Best performance till date -
At the White House
Dream venue to perform in -
Stern Auditorium @ Carnegie Hall
Artists you’d love to collaborate
with - Akon, Madonna, U2, Bradley
Cooper, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande
Upcoming projects - 3 new albums
If you could fuse two genres of music,
what would you pick to create?
- Hip Hop with Indian Classical