The Score Magazine - Archive April 2016 issue! | Page 28

about the multimedia performance and film is that it is constantly
evolving and I'm getting to collaborate with artists I love working
with along the way- everyone from Pirashanna Thevarajah a
mind blowing Indian percussionist who Ravi-ji discovered in
London to Shilo Siv Suleman whose art and work on women's
voices has inspired me for years.
The album will be released in the fall. I'm excited to share it in
India when it releases!
How was this received at the Toronto International Film
Festival?
Premiering Nari at the Toronto Film Festival was a dream come
true. It is one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world,
and to be able to tell the story of my Mother Viji and Grandmother
Lakshmi there was really quite emotional. Not only did we tell
their story, we performed their music live on stage. These women
are the reason I stand here today, and I am so glad we were able
to share their incredible lives and talent with so many people! It
was the first festival we did as well, so it was really quite special.
Where do you get inspired from?
I get inspired from wherever I am at that moment. It can be from
an instrument I pick up in another country, it can be from music
I hear on the street, it can be from sounds of auto rickshaws in
Bombay to absolute silence in the desert. I never know when or
where the next idea is going to come from, but I make sure my
eyes and ears are always open and in the moment. That being
said, silence also brings me loads of inspiration. After I finish a
long day in the studio, I love silence. If I watch TV, it will be with
the sound off and the subtitles on. In the quiet moments is where
I hear my own thoughts and ideas. I also get inspired from my
own family. Seeing what all these amazing people have done
and the beautiful music/dance/art they've created inspires me
every single day. It reminds me to work hard and to break every
boundary possible.
Best performances so far.
Wow, this is a difficult one! I would say one of the best
performances was actually two in one day- it was when I was
touring with the Smashing Pumpkins. We had to reschedule
a show in Chicago, and it was rebooked onto a day that I
was debuting at Carnegie Hall in an opera in NY. Luckily
that first show was a matinee, so I knew I could fly out
right after. Of course, the flight was delayed, the pick
up was late. It was a huge snow storm. I was literally
changing my formal outfit from Carnegie to the rock
outfit and crazy heels I had in Chicago in the car
to the venue. Let's just say the make up looked a
little clown like! They were in the middle of a song
when I popped on stage, and Billy made some funny
comment about how I left Carnegie to be with the
Pumpkins. It was quite a day and both performances
were unforgettable!
Any message for the readers of Score?
My message to readers of The Score Magazine is,
don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't be.
I have spent my life hearing people's ideas of what I
should be, how I should act, what I should do. It took
me a long time to find my own voice and realize that
the only person that can stop me is me. People project
what they want on you. You have only one life. Live it
to the fullest. Don't have regrets about what you could
have done and always reach higher than you think
you can go
26
The
Score Magazine
www.thescoremagazine.com