Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveReva Srivastava: US Presidential Scholar making Kathak popular in America

Reva Srivastava: US Presidential Scholar making Kathak popular in America

Compiled by: Team GI Youth

(February 4, 2024) It was 6 am when Reva Srivastava of Fermont received a confirmation mail on being named a 2022 US Presidential Scholar in the Arts. Unable to contain her excitement, the Kathak dancer jumped so hard in joy that for a minute her mom Anupama Srivastava thought that there was an earthquake. When the Srivastavas applied, they weren’t aware of the magnitude of the honour. Each year only 20 scholars are selected from a pool of 60 candidates nominated by the YoungArts program.

Reva Srivastava

An active participant in National YoungArts Week+, she engaged remotely with a young Odissi dancer and received mentorship from Bharatanatyam dancer Nadhi Thekkek. However, Reva didn’t feel getting the experience was any less because of it being online. Reflecting on this experience, Reva said in an interview, “She had a really interesting way of approaching your dance, which I hadn’t thought of. She really pushed us to show more than just the story that was being told, like how we were feeling because of the story, and to go a deeper layer.” It was her exceptional work ethic and commitment during National YoungArts Week+ that led to her nomination for the U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts award.

Love for dance

It all began with Reva’s mother Anupama who began learning Kathak at the age of 6 under Padma Shri Shovana Narayan in Delhi. But her relocation to the US post-marriage and the demands of work and family life put a stop to her consistent practice. But her daughter Reva’s fascination with dance prompted Anupama to establish InSyncKathak Dance School when Reva was only 6 years old. Recalling the inspiration, Reva shared, “There was something about the dance and seeing how happy it made my mom that kind of captured me at a really young age.” Speaking about her daughter Reva, Anupama said, “She made me a teacher. I was just a dancer.”

Reva with mom Anupama Srivastava

Learning from Shovana Narayan

Moreover, Reva has also received training from her mom’s guru Padma Shri awardee Shovana Narayan whenever she would visit the US, training primarily in the Lucknow Gharana style of Kathak. “I was so focused on what she was saying. She’s able to draw you in. And she was saying really complicated things. But the way that she explained everything was really helpful to me,” Reva added. However, learning from Shovana Narayan wasn’t too dissimilar to learning from her mom. Their teaching styles are almost similar, however, she could always see “a very clear separation” between her mom and guru.

Reva choreographed a solo piece to Taylor Swift’s Epiphany, depicting the experiences of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through dance, she portrayed the dedication of healthcare workers who assist others, witness loss, and resiliently continue to aid those in need.

Bringing positive change

While Reva’s future plans include attending medical school, she asserts that dance will always be an integral part of her life. “When I’m dancing, I’m not thinking about anything else,” she affirmed. Her creative abilities and artistic platform, she hopes, will contribute to positive change in the world. “I want to make art that inspires me and art that helps me stand up for what I believe and bring a positive evolution,” she added. Reva encourages young dancers to focus on building a strong foundation and technique, urging them to learn as much as possible from their gurus.

Reva, who calls yaman her favourite raga, says that she feels the energy of all of the positions, full orchestra, and the singer. ” I just feel it’s so much fun to dance to those pieces because you take that energy into yourself.”

Reflecting on her passion, Reva advises aspiring dancers to focus on their training and personal growth rather than comparing themselves to others.

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Published on 04, Feb 2024

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Eisha Yadav: On a mission to avert old-age loneliness and social isolation

(June 14, 2023) “Ignoring the well-being of the 103 million (elderly) population of India is no less a humanitarian crisis. Just as the children, the grandparents of the society deserve to have a better, rest of their life,” Eisha Yadav wrote, in her entry to the essay competition organised by US based India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA) - a coalition of non-profit, philanthropic, and charitable organisations that mobilise people and funding in the United States to support meaningful causes in India. The youngster won the first prize and a cash award of $1000 to donate to a non-profit of her choice. “After doing a lot of research, it was clear that the team of HelpAge India were not only doing great work in the field of combating social isolation and loneliness of the elderly but also making sure that they don’t have to work in their old years, and have enough money to take care of their health.” says Eisha as she connects with Global Indian from California. The youngster donated the entire prize money to the organisation. That was in 2021. “We are still working together to this day,” she says with a smile. [caption id="attachment_31067" align="aligncenter" width="444"] Eisha Yadav[/caption] Personal

derly but also making sure that they don’t have to work in their old years, and have enough money to take care of their health.” says Eisha as she connects with Global Indian from California. The youngster donated the entire prize money to the organisation. That was in 2021. “We are still working together to this day,” she says with a smile.

[caption id="attachment_31067" align="aligncenter" width="444"] Eisha Yadav[/caption]

Personal experiences and finding a purpose

The ninth grader’s choice of non-profit (HelpAge India) to donate her prize money and later get actively associated with them as a volunteer from the US stems from her personal experiences.

At 90, and until he succumbed to COVID-19, Eisha’s fiercely independent maternal grandfather lived by himself in his hometown, Raipur in India. “Earlier, when my grandma was alive and needed medical attention, they lived in a different Indian city. I could not help but notice, in both cases, how lonely and bored they felt, and how unprepared and lacking the society was to support the lifestyles of the elderly” she mentions.

After her grandmother passed away her grandpa became lonelier. “It was sad and heart breaking to see him struggle with loneliness and isolation. “Though he was active, it was difficult to find things to engage himself. “Back in the US, Eisha and her mother tried to look up for opportunities for some interesting hobby classes to keep him engaged. “There were hardly any good options,” she says. Even though he found love from family members, it was hard for him to feel happy and experience a sense of wellbeing because he felt very lonely and isolated.

“I felt bad about how, in such a big society, the elderly population suffers from loneliness,” she says. “The city he knew, loved and cared for so much was not able to support his wants and needs,” she adds.

During this time, she came across the news of the essay competition of IPA. “I thought it was a cool opportunity to put across the thoughts that were worrying me so much to people who cared. Winning the competition opened a lot of opportunities for me to do something about an issue I really cared about due to my personal experiences,” Eisha remarks.

Finding support

“I have a lot of support from the organisation (HelpAge India) and I really try to do what I can to make a difference,” she says. As a high school student there are time constraints but Eisha tries to give as much time as possible to the cause. “For most causes to get successful awareness is foremost. Once you can raise awareness, you can take the cause forward easily,” she says.

She has been spreading awareness on different platforms including presentation in the local mall in California. “Since I stay in the Bay Area, there is a huge population of Indian people with whom I can engage for the cause,” she says. “I am working with American friends of HelpAge India. We are working on new initiatives and helping in fundraising and supporting the prior programmes of the organisation,” she explains.

Way ahead

Born and raised in California, Eisha has seen US cities with adult service and recreation centres offering organized activities designed specifically for the elderly. Her paternal grandfather, who is retired from the Indian Army and now stays in Bengaluru, also enjoys good facilities and community centres.

“But it is something lacking in the city in which her maternal grandparents lived. They had boring and lonely lives,” she says. “My plan is to work with local establishments in India, one city at a time, and launch programs that mimic the US and Army community centres for elderly.

“As long as I can remember I have had a knack of solving problems in whichever way I could. I always strive to make my community a better place.” The youngster is grateful that her writing talent led her to an association with the India philanthropy Alliance. “That really got me into philanthropy. The fact that my ideas were recognised and I as a kid can make a difference in issues that I care about has got me going,” the fourteen-year-old student of Menlo School, Atherton adds.

HelpAge India reports:

31 percent of the elderly have fear of getting hurt in the locality due to frailty and bad infrastructure.
59 percent of elderly report abuse as being prevalent in Indian society.
Disrespect, verbal abuse and neglect were reported as the most common forms of abuse. Son and daughter in law are reported as the major abusers, and those other than the immediate family are major perpetrators of abuse.
46 percent of the elders were not aware of any abuse redressal mechanism.
79 percent of the respondents felt that their family do not spend enough time with them.
57 percent feel financially insecure because their expenses are exceeding their savings or income.

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‘Landed in Korea’: Kerala’s Seetha shines in her debut Indo-Korean drama

(August 29, 2024) This month, HBC House South Korea premiered its eight-episode mini-series ‘Landed in Korea’ on YouTube. Billed as the first Indo-Korean drama, it has received positive reviews from audiences eager for something different - a fusion of two different cultures. Beyond the drama itself, the main protagonist, Seetha, has also garnered attention with her debut performance. The story follows Seetha, a young woman who seizes an opportunity to travel to South Korea - a country she has always dreamed of visiting. Secretly, she hopes to find love, much like in her favourite K-dramas. After arriving in Korea to reunite with her childhood friend, things take an interesting turn when he introduces her to his social circle. As Seetha forms genuine connections in this new land, the drama centers on whether she will find the love for which she has always longed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY6Cryf_TpY Although the character shares her real name, Seetha, the actor is not new to the country, unlike the role she plays. She has been living in Korea for the past eight years, making her well-prepared to work with the Korean cast and crew and familiar with the culture. “But you get to know more about

her real name, Seetha, the actor is not new to the country, unlike the role she plays. She has been living in Korea for the past eight years, making her well-prepared to work with the Korean cast and crew and familiar with the culture. “But you get to know more about it when you work closely with Koreans, especially in projects like Landed in Korea,” she remarked in an interview. Landed in Korea is a collaborative project by Indian and Korean producers, K-pop artists Aoora and Fridayy, and Mumbai-based entrepreneur Rachna Puri. Singer-composer Aoora also plays one of the lead characters in the series.

Landing in Korea

After completing her graduation from Manipal University in Dubai, Seetha Ranganathan landed in Korea eight years ago to pursue a Global MBA from Dongguk University, Seoul. She has been working as a media professional after the completion of her MBA program.

The actor hails from Kerala and apart from English and Korean, can speak in Malayalam and Tamil. “I come from the border between the two states in the southern part of India, so I grew up with a lot of Malayalam, Tamil, and, of course, Bollywood movies,” the actress revealed.

[caption id="attachment_39005" align="aligncenter" width="611"] Seetha with a co-artist during a shoot in Korea[/caption]

Love for art and culture

Seetha respects the art and culture of both India and South Korea and takes pride in being aware of both. When it comes to acting, her favourite actress is Shobhana, whom she calls her inspiration. Although new to the field of acting, Seetha aspires to adopt the veteran actress's method of acting - fully embodying her characters and bringing a raw, powerful energy to her performances.

The actor admires the entire Indian film industry, which she describes as "full of style and drama, powerful and captivating." She loves the energy infused into every film, regardless of the genre, and region it is being made in India.

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Adding a touch of India on the Korean sets

While shooting Landed in Korea, she even tried teaching the cast members a few words in her mother tongue, Malayalam, which was captured in a few scenes of the mini-series. Additionally, the cast was filmed wearing traditional Indian clothing. These were some improvisation initiatives by Seetha. "I brought a bit of India with me, and it was fun. I hope to continue doing this," says the actor, who aspires to work on more acting projects.

Let’s make Indo-Korean cultural relations stronger!

Seetha had remarked while announcing the release of 'Landed in Korea'

Recently, some television stars have appeared in South Korean series, and as part of this growing fraternity, Seetha hopes that all Indian actors working in Korea can bring the charisma of the Indian film and television industry to Korean sets. "I want to spread joy and showcase aspects of Indian culture that people may not be familiar with in Korea,” tells the actor who tries to bring the synergy into everything she does.

[caption id="attachment_39006" align="aligncenter" width="585"] Seetha with friends during an event in Korea[/caption]

Life lessons in Korea

After eight years in Korea, the country has significantly influenced her personality. She has become a stickler for time and has developed excellent time management skills - a trait that has greatly benefited her acting career, which ‘involves a lot of planning, schedules, and meetings’. Seetha enjoys the strong sense of teamwork in Korea, which was one of the highlights of her experience working with the Korean cast in her debut acting assignment, where she played an Indian girl in love with Korea – a reflection of her own life.

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Watch Landed in Korea series here

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Dev Sharma: British-Indian teen leading the fight on food justice and climate action

(November 1, 2024) In the House of Commons, 18-year-old Dev Sharma delivered a message that's become a rallying cry for climate and health action: "Let’s clarify, we did not cause the current climate disaster, but we are facing the health effects — even if we may not have started this catastrophe, we must be the ones to resolve it. We’ll demand answers from the producers of fossil fuels." Dev, one of the 250 Youth Parliament members gathered to debate health and policy issues in the chamber, raised his voice against more than just climate change. In 2023, he called for better action on food poverty, making it clear that for his generation, these issues are inseparably linked. Raised in Leicester's Rushey Mead area, Dev's journey into activism started early. His community’s struggles with health inequities and food poverty hit close to home, especially when Dev began noticing the of junk food advertising aimed at young people. "I feel like I’m being bombarded with junk food ads on my phone and computer, and it’s overwhelming," he wrote for The Food Foundation. "They are everywhere, popping up when we’re watching videos, when I’m gaming with friends, and we don’t have an escape,

ood ads on my phone and computer, and it’s overwhelming," he wrote for The Food Foundation. "They are everywhere, popping up when we’re watching videos, when I’m gaming with friends, and we don’t have an escape, especially not at the moment when we are living on our screens." The flood of junk food ads pushed him to do something bigger, something that would take his voice from his community to the halls of Parliament.

By 15, Dev had won the Diana Award for his efforts in food activism, and he soon saw an opening to make a more concrete change. Recognising the influence of junk food ads, especially online, he launched a campaign targeting then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Health Secretary Matt Hancock, calling for an end to junk food advertising that targets children. The campaign took off, fuelled by support from the public and celebrities like Jamie Oliver. Ultimately, Dev’s online letter-gathering turned into a landmark achievement: the UK government announced a ban on online junk food advertising in June 2021. The world’s first ban of its kind, it was even included in the Queen’s Speech, marking a major win for Dev and youth advocates around the country.

[caption id="attachment_40127" align="aligncenter" width="498"] Dev Sharma[/caption]

As the pandemic hit and the UK went into lockdown, Dev’s advocacy didn’t slow down. With schools closed, many children who relied on free school meals faced a tougher time getting nutritious food. Partnering with footballer Marcus Rashford, Dev called on the government to extend meal support during holiday periods. His voice became one of many in a rising wave of young activists demanding that policymakers step up. More than a million people signed the petition, and in response, the government extended free school meals through the holidays — a step that helped ease the burden on countless families.

Dev’s work has helped prompt other important policy changes. For the first time in over a decade, the UK government increased the value of the ‘Healthy Start’ benefit — a scheme that provides nutritional support to young families — from £3.10 to £4.25, allowing more families to afford healthier options. Today, Dev is the chair of Bite Back 2030, a youth-led organisation advocating for systemic changes in the food industry. "After research found that 15 billion ads were being seen by children and young people, there was a consultation launched by the Government to ban junk food," Dev shared in an interview. "The Government asked for the public's opinion on the matter. But I felt like the voices of young people weren’t really being heard. So, I wanted to do something about it.”

Dev’s impact now reaches beyond his local community and resonates with the larger British-Indian diaspora. For Dev, being a British Indian is about carrying forward a legacy of resilience and community support, values he channels into his advocacy work. The British Indian community has long been a part of the social justice fabric of the UK, and Dev’s activism highlights how new generations are building on that legacy, particularly in issues that affect minorities and underrepresented groups. By tackling food poverty and demanding clean air for his generation, he’s brought these urgent issues to the forefront of government policy discussions.

International platforms, too, have noticed his work. Dev has spoken at high-profile events like the UN Food Systems Summit and the Global Obesity Summit in New York. Closer to home, he recently led the UK Government’s first youth inquiry into the cost of living, an examination of how rising costs are impacting young people across the country. "The health of one in three children is already at risk from the food they eat," Dev noted, as he argued for lasting changes that prioritize child health.

The personal moments also drive his mission. Studying for his GCSE exams in 2021, Dev found himself bombarded by fast food ads on YouTube. That was when he realised he wasn't alone — millions of young people were seeing the same ads, feeling the same pressure to choose unhealthy options. That moment led him to work with Bite Back 2030 to launch a campaign that didn’t just raise awareness but fought for tangible change. "Each time a member of the public signed the letter, an automatic email would be sent directly to the Health Secretary," he explained, adding that the campaign’s success brought the issue to the attention of MPs, who eventually agreed to ban the ads.

[caption id="attachment_29293" align="aligncenter" width="699"] Dev Sharma won the UK Parliament Award[/caption]

Even in his achievements, Dev remains focused on what’s next. He was recently asked to switch on Leicester’s Diwali Lights, the largest Diwali celebration outside of India, symbolizing his role as a leader not just for British Indian youth, but for all young people who want to make an impact. He’s spoken at international gatherings, worked with government officials, and continues to drive campaigns that change lives.

Dev Sharma is a young leader pushing the limits of what youth activism can achieve. His work is proof that young voices are key to tackling today’s toughest challenges. With the determination to take on everything from junk food advertising to climate action, Dev represents a new wave of British Indian activism that’s reshaping policy and inspiring a generation ready to make a difference.

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In tune with Indian beats: Singaporean Chinese dancer’s Bharatanatyam journey

(March 26, 2023) Arangetram, the debut stage performance of Bharatanatyam dancers is a common affair but it made headlines in Singapore when Soo Mei Fei gave her first stage performance. With her one-and-half hour eclectic presentation, she not only made her gurus proud but also enthralled audiences who were watching a Singaporean Chinese female dancer perform Bharatanatyam for the first time on stage. In two years of her much-talked Arangetram, the twenty-six-year-old danseuse has carved a niche in the performing arts circuit of Singapore, becoming a familiar face in major events and festivals. "I'm blessed to learn Bharatanatyam," she said in an interview. "It's such a beautiful art. It's not been an easy journey but it has been extremely fulfilling. I want to train more,” she added. [caption id="attachment_28765" align="aligncenter" width="593"] Soo Mei Fei | Photo Credit: Apsara Arts[/caption] It all started when… Soo Mei Fei was seventeen, she and her classmates at National Junior College of Singapore came across a poster that read, 'Indian dance, try-out'. Fascinated by the world of Bollywood, fourteen of them, mostly non-Indians, got interested thinking that the advertisement is about Bollywood dancing. However, much to their dismay, it turned out to be an Indian classical dance form, Bharatanatyam - something that they had neither heard of nor were able to pronounce correctly. All the youngsters dropped the idea of learning except Soo Mei Fei, who was intrigued by the dance form. She enrolled in the extra-curricular class,

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[caption id="attachment_28765" align="aligncenter" width="593"] Soo Mei Fei | Photo Credit: Apsara Arts[/caption]

It all started when…

Soo Mei Fei was seventeen, she and her classmates at National Junior College of Singapore came across a poster that read, 'Indian dance, try-out'. Fascinated by the world of Bollywood, fourteen of them, mostly non-Indians, got interested thinking that the advertisement is about Bollywood dancing. However, much to their dismay, it turned out to be an Indian classical dance form, Bharatanatyam - something that they had neither heard of nor were able to pronounce correctly.

All the youngsters dropped the idea of learning except Soo Mei Fei, who was intrigued by the dance form. She enrolled in the extra-curricular class, and within a few days, she was completely captivated.

The urge to know all about the oldest dance form of India got stronger by the day. The youngster found herself spending hours in major libraries in and around Punggol, where she lives, devouring all the information that she could gather on Bharatanatyam. Watching performances extensively on YouTube to ace the craft became a favourite past time.

Learning from Vijaya Nadesan, her teacher at the extra-curricular class who also taught in Apsara Arts, a leading dance academy in Singapore, Soo Mei Fei enrolled at the academy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxAQej97w_o&t=51s

However, she had to deal with her own set of challenges in the process. Often taking more time than her Indian counterparts to grasp what was being taught, Soo Mei Fei also struggled to understand the lyrics of the Carnatic songs on which Bharatanatyam is performed. It was Google Translate that came to her rescue. With teachers also making extra efforts to help her, the youngster slowly started getting a grasp.

The dance academy required her to learn for two hours, but Mei Fei would spend the entire day watching other pupils and teachers dance, getting completely immersed in the world Bharatanatyam, enhancing her skills along the way.

Over the course of time, whether it was hastas (hand gestures), sthankas (leg and foot movement) or abhinaya (expression of emotions), the Singaporean Chinese dancer aced all, attaining perfection with her sheer dedication.

Connecting with the Indian culture

In the last decade, Soo Mei Fei has not just learned Bharatanatyam but also understood about the culture of India.

Today it’s hard to miss the Singaporean Chinese dancer even in a crowd because of her attire – the colourful Indian saris that she often adorns. While learning how to tie and carry herself in a sari was difficult initially, she is now an expert in it.

[caption id="attachment_28764" align="aligncenter" width="832"] Soo Mei Fei | Photo Credit: Kaya, a publication of Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Singapore[/caption]

Due to her facial features, which are different from her Indian counterparts, Soo Mei Fei had to also put additional efforts to teach herself the make-up requirements that is pivotal to Bharatanatyam performances. “Most of my friends had their mums to help them get dressed but I had to learn lots of things on my own getting valuable tips from my friends and teachers along the way.”

The dancer devours Carnatic music. “It’s very rich. The lyrics and melody have a lot of meaning behind it. I understand the songs because I feel it,” she says. Since 2018 she has been also learning Odissi, another ancient Indian dance form.

The course of life

Indebted to her gurus for recognising the spark in her and working very hard to train her, Soo Mei Fei’s world revolves around Bharatanatyam. Other than the performances, her work as instructor at children's enrichment centres and dance academies in Singapore keeps her busy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g8vwRKYJ6Q

“Art should not have boundaries. It’s a great learning experience to know more about another culture that is different from us. In doing so, we discover that we are more similar to each other than what we thought,” she remarks.

Follow Soo Mei Fei on Facebook

Reading Time: 5 mins

Grammy whammies: Notes from 12 Indian musicians that shone at the awards

(April 8, 2022) When Ricky Kej’s soulful notes coupled with Steward Copeland’s eclectic music gave Divine Tides an ethereal essence, one was transported into a reverie of beautiful music. Winning the Grammy in the best new album category at the 64th annual Grammy Awards ceremony at Las Vegas in April, brought back the spotlight on Indian talent and how it has shone on the world stage. Falguni Shah took home the statue in the children’s music album category. It is shocking though that melody queen Lata Mangeshkar never won a Grammy. Global Indian turns the spotlight on the 12 outstanding musicians from India who have been honoured with the Grammy since 1959. Some are multi-Grammy winners too. Here’s the GI list of maestros… Pandit Ravi Shankar, sitarist and composer Shankar (7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) got nominated for the Grammy awards six times, and won it five times, out of which two were posthumous honours. The sitar maestro was recognised as the world's best exponent of north Indian classical music in the second half of the 20th century. He developed a distinct style establishing confluence of north Indian classical music with rhythm practices of Carnatic music. Shankar was fond

classical music in the second half of the 20th century. He developed a distinct style establishing confluence of north Indian classical music with rhythm practices of Carnatic music. Shankar was fond of closing his performances with a piece inspired by the light-classical thumri genre.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS8rwRwmwRE

The stalwart introduced at least 31 new ragas, including Ahir Lalit, Bhawani Bhairav, Bairagi Rasiya, Yaman Manjh, Tilak Shyam, etc. He also introduced a new percussive sitar technique called Goonga Sitar, in which the strings are muffled with a cloth.

Zubin Mehta, conductor of eastern and western classical music

Mehta (born 29 April 1936) has been nominated an impressive 23 times between 1969 and 2007, winning five times. He is currently the conductor emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO). Several orchestras throughout the world have bestowed on him the title of honorary conductor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSp0sApmS6Q

Recently, Mehta made extensive number of tours with the Bavarian State Opera. Mehta and philanthropist Josef Buchmann have founded the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music as a partnership between the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and Tel Aviv University. Mehta is the school's honorary president and has remained actively involved since its inception.

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Thetakudi Harihara Vinayakram, percussionist

Vinayakram (born 11 August 1942) has been revered as the god of ghatam (earthern pot) as his renditions with Carnatic music explore the versatility of the ghatam, making it immensely popular. He won in the category of Best World Music Album in 1991 with Ustad Zakir Hussain for their work, Planet Drum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22c100WxNrY

Vinayakram is the principal of Sri Jaya Ganesh Tala Vadya Vidyalaya in Chennai. The academy was established by his late father and teacher in 1958 and Vinayakram has been taking the legacy forward guiding and producing new stars of Carnatic percussion.

Ustad **Zakir Hussain, tabla maestro**

Hussain (born 9 March 1951) wears many hats. He is a tabla maestro, percussionist, music producer, composer and film actor. He has been nominated thrice for Grammy bagging the award twice.

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The founding member of Bill Laswell’s World Music Supergroup Tabla Beat Science was amongst many musicians invited by President Barack Obama to the International Jazz Day 2016 All-Star Global Concert at the White House. He has been performing at concerts across the globe.

Follow Ustad Zakir Hussain on Instagram

Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Hindustani classical music instrumentalist

Bhatt (born 27 July 1950), plays the Mohan veena (slide guitar). He was nominated twice and won the Grammy once. Many western musical instruments like violin, harmonium, mandolin, archtop guitar, and electric guitar have been accepted in the Indian classical music. Bhatt developed and named his hybrid slide guitar as Mohan Veena. It has been accepted in the list of Indian classical instrument as well.

[embed]https://twitter.com/VishwaMBhatt1/status/1470379217024008197?s=20&t=3p5Bju1onfZ5ETQrEL1C3Q[/embed]

He is also known for fusion and pan-cultural collaborations with western artists such as Béla Fleck and Jerry Douglas. He returned to stage after a crucial head surgery last year.

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AR Rahman, music composer

Rahman (born 6 January 1967) has been primarily working in Hindi and Tamil films since his film debut Roja in 1992. He has been nominated to the Grammy twice in the same year (2008) for best compilation soundtrack album and best song written for visual media for Slumdog Millionnaire, and he won in both the categories. The film fetched him an Oscar as well.

[embed]https://twitter.com/arrahman/status/1510768641142272003?s=20&t=PYe1CmTPEk2Jp59utZWYAA[/embed]

In 2009, he was featured on the Time list of the world's 100 most influential people and in 2017, he made his debut as a director and writer for Le Musk. He has recently released a modern-day anthem, Moopilla Thamizhe which is composed, arranged, and produced by him celebrating Tamil culture and the achievements of the people of the state in various fields.

Follow AR Rahman on Instagram

Sridhar, sound engineer

Sridhar (born 1958 – 1 Dec 2008) was known for his work with AR Rahman. He won the Grammy in 2008 under the best compilation soundtrack album category for the movie Slumdog Millionnaire with AR Rahman and PA Deepak.

[embed]https://twitter.com/arr4u/status/1002082445775261696?s=20&t=5eP86tZwz0OgE9HPvBlO9w[/embed]

In his career, he engineered over 200 films and worked closely with Indian directors of repute. Incidentally, he engineered all songs and background scores for the renowned music director AR Rahman. He had pioneered the use of digital sound for Indian films in the DTS format. He had also engineered and mixed albums for international artists.

PA Deepak, mix engineer and record producer

Deepak (born 10 January 1982) won the Grammy for the movie Slumdog Millionaire with AR Rahman and H Sridhar. He started his career as a guitarist and later became a recording engineer.

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Apart from being a full-time mix engineer, he does music programming and plays various string instruments out of pure interest and passion. He has been collaborating with various renowned artists and performing as a music producer and mix engineer.

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Tanvi Shah, recording artist

Tanvi (born on 1 December 1985) is the first Indian woman to win a Grammy. She sings in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, and Afro-Cuban. She experiments with a wide range of music with her band. Her adaptability has been proven in her collaborative work with international music producers such as Jeremy Hawkins (USA), Gio Ortega (USA), David Batteau (USA), Che Pope (USA), and DJ Salah of Germany.

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She has donated her song, Zindagi, produced by JHawk, to the End Polio campaign album that features international artistes such as, Ziggy Marley, Itzhak Perlman, David Sanborn Donovan and members of the Congolese band.

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Gulzar, lyricist

Gulzar (born 18 August 1934) wears the hats of a poet, lyricist, screenwriter, author, and film director. He picked his first Grammy in the category best song written for visual media for Slumdog Millionaire with AR Rahman and Tanvi Shah. He also won an Oscar for it too. Gulzar made his debut as a lyricist with the 1963 film Bandini and has since worked with many music directors – from RD Burman to AR Rahman. Gulzar has prolifically written lyrics and dialogues for several popular Doordarshan TV series including Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland, and Hello Zindagi. His latest work as lyricist is for Darlings, a comedy drama releasing this year.

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Ricky Kej, music composer

Kej (born 5 August 1981) is not only a music composer but also an environmentalist. He was nominated for the Grammy twice and won both the times, one in 2015 for Winds of Samsara and another in 2022 for his album Divine Tides in the best new age album category. The talented artist has performed at venues in over 30 countries including at the United Nations headquarters in New York and Geneva. Kej was named a UNCCD Land Ambassador at the COP14 to raise public awareness about the challenges of desertification, land degradation, and drought.

[embed]https://twitter.com/rickykej/status/1510809703403597826?s=20&t=3p5Bju1onfZ5ETQrEL1C3Q[/embed]

He also serves as a UNESCO - MGIEP Global Ambassador for Kindness, ambassador for the Earth Day Network and UNICEF Celebrity Supporter. Kej has performed in three large-scale virtual concerts between April and July 2020 due to the pandemic restrictions with audience of over 75 countries with an estimated viewership of over 200 million people.

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Neela Vaswani, artist

Neela Vaswani (born 11th September 1974) is an American writer of Indian origin, and professor of creative writing, literature and cultural studies. She narrated the audio version of I am Malala winning Grammy for it in 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4utcZ3IoPgo

She lives in New York City, and is the founder of Storylines Project that she started in partnership with New York Public Library. Before the win Neela did not even know that it is possible for a children's audio book to be nominated for such a prestigious award.

Falguni Shah, vocalist and composer

Falguni blends ancient classical Indian melodies with contemporary western sounds. She has won the Grammy 2022 under the best children music album category for her album A Colourful World. Since 2020, Falu also teams up with bassist Yasushi Nakamura, drummer Clarence Penn and guitarist, and vocalist Clay Ross to form the American Patchwork Quartet.

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The Quartet interprets timeless songs in a modern 21st century perspective, leveraging immigrant histories and backgrounds. The group has been tour performing arts centres around the world, till date.

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Reading Time: 8 mins

Reva Srivastava: US Presidential Scholar making Kathak popular in America

Compiled by: Team GI Youth

Love for dance

Learning from Shovana Narayan

Bringing positive change

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