'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
For New York-based singer-songwriter Falguni Shah, known professionally by her stage moniker Falu, the 64th edition of the recently concluded Grammy Awards proved to be a night like no other.
She not only took home the coveted gilded gramophone for Best Children's Album, but also helped further solidify India's charge towards representation in the global music arena.
With underlying themes of inclusivity and unity at the forefront of her award-winning mellifluous project A Colourful World, Falu has been instrumental in spearheading the age of "Indie Hindi," a transcendental genre which constitutes a seamless synergy between Indian Classical and Contemporary Western music.
From traversing Bombay and Boston during her initial career to collaborating alongside esteemed artists such as Wyclef Jean, A.R. Rahman, and Philip Glass, to name a few, Falu's glistening repertoire continues to add a fresh layer of sheen with each passing year.
In an exclusive interview with SK Pop's Saahil Agnelo Periwal, Falu recently opened up about her monumental Grammy win, her distinctive musical style, her Indian roots, and more.
Grammy Award winner Falu Shah on identity, inspiration, meeting BTS, and more
Q) First of all, congratulations on the astounding Grammy win! How have the past few days been in the aftermath of this historic victory?
Falu: Thank you! I appreciate it. The past few days have been something I never imagined or lived through and I am living and enjoying every moment because I don't take this for granted.
I take this as a huge blessing and as a huge responsibility to represent India on such a global level. We are 1.3 billion people, so when you have to represent that magnitude of people, you have to be very responsible about how you present and how you make our country look on a global map.
So it's been absolutely magnificent and wonderful and it all looks like a dream, but this time, it's a dream that came true!
Everybody has dreams and when you achieve them, that feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction is not only overwhelming but truly humbling.
Q) What has been the most valuable feedback you have received so far?
Falu: Oh, PM Modi! His blessing and him giving us a shoutout, it was such a big deal because, you know, I was born and raised in India.
So for a Prime Minister to take a couple of minutes to acknowledge, appreciate and honor, this means the world to me.
That was like the defining moment which made it feel like 'Okay, something big has happened!'
I am so grateful. I want to tell him that I would love to come and meet him in person and seek his blessings and do more things for India to represent it globally.
Q) This being your second nomination after the 2019 nod for Falu's Bazaar, how hopeful were you of taking home the award this time around, and what does winning a Grammy mean to you?
Falu: The second nomination was amazing, but I didn’t expect. Every time you expect, you sense disappointment if you don’t get it. So I was hopeful and I was praying but I didn’t want to put myself in that spot of ‘Oh my God, I didn’t win again’.
Like that is negative, I didn’t want to be negative. Even just the nomination was blissful for me, I was happy.
When they announced my name, my jaw dropped, and I have a very funny picture that was taken (laughs). When they said, 'And the Grammy goes to... Falu', I never found my name so musical before that. There are no words that can describe the joy of having India win at this level.
It was superbly surprising and kind of like a 'What, really? It happened?' moment. Like I said, I don’t take these awards for granted and I have huge respect for this kind of acknowledgement. So that moment was ecstatic and unbelievable.
Q) Could you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind A Colourful World? The entire conceptualization process at large and what you aimed to capture and convey?
Falu: The seeds were sown in the first album as I started writing for my child. This time, we wanted to take the message global. We wanted to write for every child, every kid, every individual who is dealing with identity and who wants to be included and wants to support diversity and acceptance.
The underlying message behind the whole album was let’s live like crayon colors in a box, as humans in a global world, peacefully, accepting each other with our differences but also not losing our identity.
I don’t think this message is only for kids; it’s for each one of us who has questioned our identities and especially me, living as a South Asian woman in New York. I’m Brown and I’m a woman and I’m a minority. The struggles that I have faced making it big in this country, I can write a book on it.
It’s not easy to come from India, learn everything there and then come here and make a career. It’s a long journey and I wanted to give a global message that even though we are different , we are still one and we speak the same language of humanity.
Q) You also had the opportunity to perform live at the Grammy Premiere Ceremony. What was that experience like?
Falu: When I got the call to perform, my entire attention shifted because when you have to perform and open the Grammys, that’s a different ballgame because I would be performing at a ceremony watched by the entire world.
That pressure is something I’ve never felt; I’ve never witnessed anything like this on such a big platform.
The lucky part is I have the best gurus. My teachers have trained me so well that no matter where I am, when I look inward into my musical notes, it doesn’t matter where I’m singing.
It’s the notes that are going to bless me, it’s the music that’s going to take care of me. I don’t have to look outside or have anyone hold me because my notes are already holding me.
I was singing Indian classical music and I brought in my culture and my ancient 5000-year-old heritage so I wanted to be very solid and super-rooted in my performance, and I think we were able to do that.
Q) Could you tell us about your early music days and any experiences during your formative years that were instrumental in defining your love for music as a profession?
Falu: That’s a great question. You just nailed it! So, my mother was a musician and she spotted my talent when I was three years old, so my training started very early.
At six, I got into a bike accident and was hospitalized. The pain in the hospital was so much that I was screaming and my mother said to me ‘Don’t scream, just sing’, and I started singing in that hospital room because it gave me so much comfort when I was experiencing the worst pain of my life.
I never stopped singing after that and I decided that if music can heal me with just its notes, this is what I want to do. And so, at six, I decided that I wanted to sing my entire life!
I practiced and practiced for 16 hours a day. I was like Arjuna; when you look at that bird’s eye, you just keep going, and that’s how I was. It was blissful. I didn’t miss out on anything.
Q) Being based out of the U.S., how would you best describe your genre and style of music today? How much do you owe to your traditional classical roots?
Falu: When I came to America, I actually went to school here, and after learning Indian classical music, I continued to learn that. You never stop learning; it’s an ocean of knowledge.
I also took composition, songwriting, guitar, and piano, and I was able to write my own songs. It’s a craft which I didn’t learn in India. I drew very freely from American and Indian music and combined it.
So what happened was that all the songs were in English but they were based on Ragas, they were based on folklore of India, on Chaiti, Thumri, Kajri (Semi-Classical Indian music styles) and Ghazals. My foundation has always been Indian music of any sort.
Over that, I created a style called Indie Hindi and that really did work well. The response we got from launching that was surprising.
In my Grammy community, they actually call me "Miss Indie Hindi." They love it so much, like, they tease me, like I’m known for Indie Hindi!
Which is why Indian music, when taken globally, can have these traditions collide without disturbing each one of them, but only adding and enhancing the other tradition.
Q) Could you name three Indian and three Western artists whom you admire and would love to collaborate with?
Falu: That is a very tough question, my friend! There are so many, but just a few that come to my mind from India right away are Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Aamir Khan, and among the composers, I love Shankar Mahadevan and others of that style who bring a lot of Classical into the west.
Having the chance to work with them would just be the icing on the cake!
For global, I’ve been eyeing to work with Billie Eilish, BTS, and Lady Gaga. These three; their messaging, their music, what they’re doing internationally, are very inspiring to me.
Q) Speaking of BTS, how much of a K-Pop stan are you?
Falu: I think what they have done is phenomenal. It’s just... The dancing, the singing, and bringing two cultures together. There is nobody better than BTS!
And they’re really nice too! I had the chance to, like, interact with them a little bit at the Grammys and I’m like, 'Wow, you guys are very talented!'
Q) What’s next on the horizon for Falu Shah aka Grammy Award winner?
Falu: There is so much going on! There is talk of me singing in a Bollywood movie, or movies, so I’m coming to India. There are other collaborations happening with artists. They are really great there and we might be doing some singles.
There are also brand ambassador things happening and the biggest part is I want to meet the Prime Minister, so I’m trying my best to come and seek his blessings.
Q) Any message you would like to share for your fans and readers across the globe?
Falu: I think if I can do it, you can do it. I was not born with a golden spoon in my mouth; I climbed the ladder slowly by facing success, by facing failures, by doing wrong things sometimes. But I kept going and believed in myself that things would work out.
So, having that foundation of faith – if you believe in yourself, there is nothing that can stop you.
So 'dream big and never give up' has always been my message.
