Chandrika Tandon, an Indian-American vocalist, was the center of the music industry’s unforgettable evening.
At the 67th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, the successful artist and businesswoman, who is 71, won her first Grammy for her album “Triveni” in the Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album category.
Tandon shared this esteemed honor with her collaborators, Japanese cellist Eru Matsumoto and South Africa flautist Wouter Kellerman, for a seven-track album that enlivens ancient Vedic chants.
How did Chandrika Tandon establish herself in the music industry, and who is she? Let’s take a close look at her journey.
A Banking Wiz Turned Musician
Experienced businesswoman Chandrika Tandon, the older sister of former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, comes from Chennai and pursued her studies from Madras Christian College.
She was initially determined to go to law school, but after being persuaded by a professor to change her concentration to business, she ended up at the esteemed Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. She was admitted there as one of only eight women.
She then began working at Citibank in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War before founding Tandon Capital Associates in 1992. Major international companies like Chase Manhattan Corporation, Comerica, Unibanco (Brazil), Suncorp-Metway Ltd. (Australia), Fleet Financial Group, Bank of America, Rabobank, and ABN Amro were among those she advised through her firm.
As her influence increased, she was promoted to the position of first Indian-American woman partner at New York City’s McKinsey & Company. Her commercial achievements were soon followed by noteworthy charitable endeavors.
The highest donation made by an Indian-American in the United States was a historic $100 million gift to the New York School of Engineering in 2015, which she and her husband Rajan donated. In appreciation of their efforts, the school was later renamed NYU Tandon School of Engineering.
In 2024, Tandon also established the Krishnamurthy Tandon Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to spirituality, the arts, and community development. She has made significant contributions to organize such as Yale University, Berklee College of Music, and the American India Foundation through the foundation.
As per reports, Tandon’s love of music may have its origins in her family’s traditional upbringing, since she and her sister Indra were exposed to Samadeva and Vedic chants as well as Carnatic music at a young age. She received music instruction from vocalist Girish Wazalwar and classical singer Shubhra Guha.
“Music is love, Music is light”
According to Chandrika Tandon, the Grammy-winning album Triveni reflects its name – a confluence, akin to the holy Indian rivers Saraswati, Yamuna, and Ganga. Three musicians from different cultures – Kellerman, Matsumoto, and Tandon – come together in this musical collaboration.
Triveni, which was released on August 30, 2024, is made up of seven tracks, each of which contributes to the album’s overall concept of healing and resonance while telling a unique story. Aether’s Serenade, Pathway to Light, Chant in A, Journey Within, Ancient Moon, Open Sky, and Seeking Shakti are among the songs.
In her acceptance speech, expressing her thanks and passion for music, Tandon said, “Music is love, music is light, and music is laughter, and let’s all be surrounded by love, light, and laughter. Thank you for the music, and thank you to everyone who makes music”.
Not her first Grammy nomination
Tandon had already dealt with the Grammys. She was nominated for Best Contemporary World Music Album in 2010 for Om Namo Narayana: Soul Call.
She was nominated this year alongside well-known musicians including Rashika Vekaria for “Warriors of Light,” the late Japanese mastermind Ryuichi Sakamoto for “Opus,” Indian-American sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar for “Chapter II: How Dark It Is Before Dawn,” and producer Ricky Kej for “Break of Dawn.”
After her victory, Tandon told reporters backstage that the experience was “surreal.” She acknowledged the extraordinary quality in her category and remarked, “It feels amazing.” “For us, winning this is an especially memorable occasion. We were nominated among some amazing musicians.
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