Page 34 - The Indian EYE 011422

NORTH AMERICAN Newsline JANUARY 14, 2022 | The Indian Eye 34

Falguni shah takes a second shot at

the 64th Grammys

Falu has worked with a number of high-profile musicians such as Philip Glass and AR Rahman

OUR BUREAU
New York
n 2019, Falguni Shah, who goes
by the stage name Falu Shah, be-
Icame the only Indian woman to
be nominated for the Grammys. The
singer who came out with an album
especially for children called ‘Falu’s
Bazaar,’ landed herself a coveted
nomination in the Children’s Music
category.
Known for her ability to blend
modern aesthetics with Indian clas-
sics, Falguni Shah was trained rigor-
ously in the Jaipur musical tradition
and in the Benares style of Thumri as
a youngster. The singer who has also
performed with A R Rehman at The
White House for former US Presi-
dent Barack Obama reveals that the
album which has gotten her a Gram-
my nomination stemmed from the
incessant questions she would face
from her son.
Now, her new album has got her
a Grammy nod for 2021 in the Best
Children’s Album section along with
Mexican duo Lucky Diaz and the
Family Jam Band (Crayon Kids), five nominees in the category refused The cello was recorded in Florida, Gujarati folk music, ghazal and other
Spanish musicians 123 Andrés (Actí- to accept the nomination because the tracks were recorded in Spain, genres that were not purely classi-
vate), Tribe Collective (All One the five nominees were “all-white” the gospel harmonies and piano cal followed by Hindustani classical
Tribe) that features 26 artistes from musicians including themselves. pieces were recorded in San Fran- training under sarangi maestro Sul-
a black family and American politi- This was again in the aftermath of cisco and Falu flew to El Salvador tan Khan and later under Jaipur-At-
cian, musician and academic Pierce the Black Lives Matter movement studio in San Francisco to record her rauli doyenne Kishori Amonkar.
Freelon (Black to the Future) – mak- where America questioned and talk- own vocals. The result is a lot of lay- Her training in classical music
ing her one of the two Indians nomi- ed about racial equity in the country. ering in orchestration which wasn’t has allowed her to use a number of
nated this year. “A lot of people felt that some the case in her last album. “Because murkis and meends (glides) in the al-
The other is composer and fields in music just do not have we were not confined in a studio, we bum. “What’s interesting is that my
Grammy winner for 2015, Ricky Kej, enough colorful representation and had the option of doing more. Oscar producers appreciated the nuances
who is nominated along with Amer- declining the nomination was their Auntie, who is one of the sound and and variations that I brought from
ican composer Stewart Copeland, way to say that,” says Falu, who adds mixing engineers, brought everything my classical background,” says Falu.
remembered as the drummer of that the Recording Academy also together in a beautiful cohesive way. Falu moved to the US in 2000 af-
legendary band The Police, for their changed the way it chose a winner. Kids in Spain, in New Jersey, one in ter her marriage to Gaurav Shah of
collaborative album Divine Tides – a Under the new policy, nominees in New York, everything was recorded the band Karyshma. Once there she
nine-song album produced by Ben- non-craft categories such as chil- separately. Because of technology, struggled like any other first-genera-
galuru-based Lahari Music. This is dren’s music, will be chosen through we were able to broaden our sound tion immigrant in a different cultural
also Falu’s second nomination, the votes – a landmark change from the palette so much,” says Falu. setting.
last one being in 2019 for Falu’s Ba- lack of transparency that has existed Growing up in Mumbai’s Juhu, In 2007, she debuted with Falu
zaar, also an attempt to reassure her in the system. Falu’s own album has Falu heard music since she was a and followed it with Foras Road
son of his roots and identity. a list of diverse musicians and pro- young girl. Her mother, a musician (2013), named after the red-light
Early last year — the Grammys ducers on board. “We are from all at All India Radio, was singing to her district in Mumbai. The album, com-
2020 — the best children’s music backgrounds, but music united us,” and Falu loved the sound of it. Her prising indie-Hindi tunes, was short-
category got caught in a controversy, she says. interest in music led to training in listed for the Grammys but couldn’t
something that rarely happens with The album is also unique be- music, first under Kaumudi Munshi make it to the main nominations. But
this particular category. Three of the cause of the way it’s been created. and Uday Mazumdar, who taught her Falu found some spotlight.

www.TheIndianEYE.com