Close X
Monday, March 17, 2025
ADVT 
Spotlight

Chandrika Tandon: From Boardroom to Grammy Glory 

Naina Grewal Darpan, 14 Mar, 2025
  • Chandrika Tandon: From Boardroom to Grammy Glory 

"The modern era needs ancient wisdom for the very profound effect it can have on our lives today. Ancient Vedic chants are a powerful gift, carrying critical messages to help us create a framework for our lives. Even the small sampling of them in this album can provide incredible benefits, and I hope that people of all ages across the world benefit." Chandrika Tandon, Grammy Award Winning Artist.

Chandrika Tandon is a name that resonates across industries. Be it as an acclaimed artist, a trailblazing business leader, or a dedicated philanthropist, she is a community gem. Most recently, at the age of 70, Tandon made headlines for winning a Grammy Award for her album Triveni in the Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album category at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, a milestone that cements her as a global force in music. 

While many know her as a Grammy-winning musician, Tandon’s journey is anything but conventional. Despite family expectations for an arranged marriage at eighteen, Tandon fought for her education by going on a two-day hunger strike before her mother was convinced by her school’s headmistress. Graduating from IIM Ahmedabad in 1975, Chandrika Tandon began her career at Citibank in Beirut, later becoming the first Indian-American partner at McKinsey & Company at just twenty-four, before founding Tandon Capital Associates in 1992 and advising global financial giants. Now, she has pivoted to a life dedicated to music, blending classical Indian traditions with contemporary influences.

“I’ve been singing my entire life. As a child, I sang before I could speak. As I became more successful in the business world, I was only able to enjoy music in the late evenings, going to shows wherever I might have been in the world. Two and a half decades ago, I reassessed my life and decided to focus more on what made me happiest: music!” reveals Tandon. To perform Indian music at its highest level, Tandon describes that the mind has to be very quiet. Hence, meditation became essential as the musician furthered her musical practice.  

Triveni is an album that blends ancient chants with world music. She details, “The modern era needs ancient wisdom for the very profound effect it can have on our lives today. Ancient Vedic chants are a powerful gift, carrying critical messages to help us create a framework for our lives. Even the small sampling of them in this album can provide incredible benefits, and I hope that people of all ages across the world benefit.” 

With Triveni, the talented artist had to think hard about which mantras to include and how they could be integrated with keys, the flute, and the cello. South African flautist, producer, and composer Wouter Kellerman and Japanese cellist Eru Matsumoto were responsible for coming up with movements that fit Tandon’s ideas of what the ragas should be. Undoubtedly, this was a highly collaborative and sometimes contentious journey, as each person in the musical trio loves their artistic freedom. Yet, in the end, the dream team was able to optimize their visions to benefit each other and the album. 

Beyond music, Tandon has been a passionate philanthropist, especially in education and the arts. The first pillar of her service is economic empowerment, which is depicted in all her work with New York University (NYU), NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Madras Christian College (MCC) Boyd-Tandon School of Business, and other universities. The second pillar of Tandon’s service is emotional empowerment, which largely consists of music but also meditation and community building. 

For young budding South Asian artists, especially women, facing cultural or societal expectations, Tandon shares pearls of wisdom: “When you walk into any meeting, do not wear any labels that might diminish you. Rather, know that you are the best in the field. This is especially important for women. As women, we have a tendency to want to weaken ourselves, but we cannot allow ourselves to do that.” 

 In regard to career guidance, the legendary powerhouse suggests that one should not think about merely pursuing a career. Instead, to truly become unstoppable, she encourages creatives to do something simply because of an urge that won’t allow them to do anything else. Tandon elaborates, “Do something that you love so much that it overwhelms and consumes you. You cannot create art for money. Be an artist for the sheer joy of what you create.” Tandon points out that this is especially true in the creative fields, where achieving economic stability can be difficult.  

Shining light on a future outlook for Tandon, invitations for projects are pouring in, and she is eagerly reviewing them to select her next new adventures. Recently appointed as artist-in-residence with the Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC), a world-renowned multicultural youth chorus composed of hundreds of New York school children from all walks of life, Tandon will also be busy at work creating specific music for young voices to inspire, heal, and impart some of the ancient wisdom that traditions have embraced for centuries.  

Currently working on her next album, Soul Ecstasy, Tandon is working on music that is more traditional, featuring the Hare Rama, Hare Krishna mahamantra composed in eight ragas. “To me, the Hare Rama, Hare Krishna mahamantra is ecstasy. The Bhakti movement was built on this mantra, and Swami Srila Prabhupada’s Hare Krishna movement was built on this,” highlights Tandon. As the world awaits her next stride in the music realm, her dedication to blending spirituality with musical tradition continues to inspire, promising even more transformative journeys through sound. 

 

MORE Spotlight ARTICLES

undefined

Excellence in the Classroom and Beyond: Gurpreet Kaur Bains

Excellence in the Classroom and Beyond: Gurpreet Kaur Bains
As the Modern Languages Department Head at Surrey’s LA Matheson Secondary School (LAM), she has actively collaborated with the Ministry of Education and the Museum of Surrey in developing South Asian curriculum and teaching resources.

Local Hero, World Champion: Jessy Sahota ​

Local Hero, World Champion: Jessy Sahota ​

Jessy Sahota is a winner of the 2022 International Association of Chiefs of Police 40 Under 40 Award, which recognizes 40 law enforcement professionals under the age of 40 from around the world that demonstrate leadership and exemplify commitment to their profession. 

Sukhmanpreet Singh : The First Punjabi Captain of the BC U16 Field Hockey Team

Sukhmanpreet Singh : The First Punjabi Captain of the  BC U16 Field Hockey Team

Since then he made a vow in his heart that he will give it his all and that field hockey is his calling. He began playing hockey at the age of 12 and has been playing for four years. At the U18 national championship he was the second highest goal scorer and received the tournament 11 award. 

Chasing Dreams One Wicket at a Time : Mannat Hundal

Chasing Dreams One Wicket at a Time : Mannat Hundal

Her love for cricket started at the age of 11 when she watched her brother play the game and figured this doesn’t look all that hard. Funnily enough, she took up the bat and the rest is history. Hundal realized cricket was her calling as a sport as she trained hard with Stallions Cricket Academy in Surrey and experimented with batting and bowling. 

Wrestling For Your Dreams Is Truly Worth It

Wrestling For Your Dreams Is Truly Worth It

The recent Commonwealth Games in England saw three Indo-Canadian wrestlers compete and defeat their respective opponents in freestyle wrestling of various levels. Amarveer Singh Dhesi and Nishan Singh Randhawa both brought home a gold medal for Canada. Jasmit Singh Phulka was the winner in the bronze medal category.  Let’s find out more about these young men.

Lights, Camera, Action! Meet Budding Actress: Nikhita Singh

Lights, Camera, Action! Meet Budding Actress: Nikhita Singh

While in high school she worked full time as a television host covering events around the city and interviewing several celebrities that would visit Vancouver. Being on Zindagi, served as an impetus to a concrete realization that choosing a path in this field was a possibility.