A Sunday Conversation with Grammy Nominated World Music Performer Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon

When I was a kid, growing up in a house with Cat Stevens, Neil Diamond, and Simon and Garfunkel, the first time I ever heard Kiss's "Detroit Rock City," it was a moment of musical epiphany. It was just so vicious, aggressive and mean. It changed the way I listened to music. I've had a few minor epiphanies since then, when you come across a band that just brings something new and revolutionary to your ears.

What have been your musical epiphany moments?

A few different epiphanies at different stages of my life….that I remember enough to comment on…I grew up in a little simple town in India with a radio which played all kinds of  Indian music only – with two  channels - except on Saturday nights from 9-30 -11pm – a program called  Listeners’  Choice with only English pop songs.  I did not own a tape recorder to tape anything, or a turntable so I learnt all these songs by ear... I was in love with those Saturday nights

These were some of my hot favorites then…

Tom Jones’ Delilah – in my early teenage years –love, longing;

Dean Martin Sway – hearing a beautiful rhumba for the first time in my life and getting chills at the melody of the beat

The Seekers – (the Australian Group)( gerogy Girl, Morning Town ride)

I watched WOODSTOCK in a continuous show theater in Chennai for three days (4 shows each)...that is twelve times over two weeks…

I also sang many hymns, spirituals, marching songs and national songs as I studied in a Catholic Convent school..

Then came French music when I was learning French at the Alliance Francaise…

Les feuilles mortes (autumn leaves in French) and songs of Enrico macias (Paris tu m’as pris dans tes bras and fifty others) and Francoise Hardy (tous les garcons); Ne me quitte pas (if you go away)...Jacques Brel...when I shivered feeling the poetry and romance in French music- I sang them in many local performances often not fully understanding the meaning

The teenage and 20s my obsessions – I cried, I laughed, I imagined, I dreamed to these albums and groups

The Beatles – all songs, but the White Album – my constant companion for two years

Roberta Flack – Killing me softly /Quiet Fire (first time I ever saw your face; Will you still love me tomorrow)

Crosby Stills Nash and Young

Moody Blues

Full circle...back to Indian music and rigorous rigorous classical training again with the best masters of Indian music-every great you can name Jasraj, Sahasrabuddhe, MS Subbalakshmi, Vijay Kichlu, T Viswanathan, and of course my master teacher Pandit Girish Wazalwar

Talk to us about the song-writing process for you. What comes first, the idea? A riff? The lyrics? How does it all fall into place?

For both my CDs, I literally woke up at 3 in the morning with the song and the music playing in my head...I groggily went to my instruments, and my keyboard and started singing them in whatever outline was coming to me..With my trusted tape recorder running...I think I recorded 5 or 6 tracks in outline form...then when I was awake, I called my teacher in India and sang some of the outlines to him as I wanted feedback..

Over the next few weeks and months I polished them, fussed with them, sang it to different people and created a final version…

I then sat with my instrument arranger to discuss what should be the kind of sound I was hearing for it...and then let him run with an initial version…

For example in track 8...I was only hearing guitars and violins...i was thinking of Malaguena and hava nagila and various other songs...as I was composing in this classically rigorous Indian scale!


Who has influenced you the most?

Given how far ranging my musical tastes and influences are, there really is not one person; I hear music everywhere ,in everything, every moment – consciously and unconsciously..


Where do you look for continuing inspiration? New ideas, new motivation?

When I am in deep meditation, my mind is clear, and I am not “trying to compose” I hear the music...it almost composes itself... In fact I was “trying’ to compose something else when SOUL CALL happened!



Genres are so misleading and such a way to pigeonhole bands. Without resorting to labels, how would you describe your music?

I really consider my music an Indian raga based world album with a universal healing chant that I hope will cross all boundaries and connect everyone in a circle of love…

 
What is you musical intention? What are you trying to express or get your audience to feel?

I hope the music will break down every one’s boundaries and barriers and enable each one take a journey into themselves, to reach their own innermost grace...and as they do that, they can then radiate it to every one they touch…that is my prayer…

Another key goal of mine is that music should be a shared celebration…I made it simple enough so that everyone can sing along -

What makes a great song?

Music that lets you feel something deeper than you normally feel


Tell us about the first song you ever wrote?

I have been writing rhyming poetry since I was in first grade and singing them to common tunes...the first serious song I wrote was a song about the power and grace of a woman – in English and Sanskrit...I am compiling some of these in one of my upcoming albums…


What piece of your music are particularly proud of?

To be honest, I feel little ownership of it...it came together with so many people working to make it beautiful – my teachers who commented on my compositions, my musical arranger who brought some of the best musicians of india to play on the tracks; the recording engineers in India and NY that took it on as a labor of love…so in a sense this belongs to many people…

I am happiest that so many people are being moved and are so openly and continuously sharing their feelings on face book and in hundreds of mails to me…I am happy that with no radio play we today debuted at no 11 on Billboard World music Charts and have been on the top of ITunes and Amazon at times…so something is happening which is beyond my limited comprehension….


Who today, writes great songs? Who just kicks your ass? Why?

I can’t even begin to answer this question – too many great ones, and the songs are more direct and more explicit now…and touch some raw spots... Also, being of a certain age, I am still stuck on some of the old writers…so I get my “ass kicked “all the time!


We, at the Ripple Effect, are constantly looking for new music. What's your home town, and when we get there, what's the best record store to lose ourselves in?

I am the world’s best crate digger…and can give you this info for many great cities in this world, as I have spent hours doing this, and still do. Music World, landmark – are the big outlets in Chennai, India. The Indian film industry produces thousands of films each year and each film has 5-8 songs...so the inventory is ever changing…and world pop is hot as is classical music…


Any final comments or thoughts you'd like to share with our readers, the waveriders?

Open your ears open your minds and open your hearts – you never know what senses your waves may ride on; you might be surprised at what you might experience…