How Mumbai-born Falguni Shah struck a winning chord at Grammys 2022

At a young age, Falguni Shah learned the power of music beyond just entertainment. "I met with an accident when I was six and my mother told me not to cry but to sing," says the singer who goes by the stage name Falu. She remembers singing whenever she felt low and even as it healed, her mother quickly recognised in her a rare passion.

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During her formative years, Falu was "trained rigorously in the Jaipur musical tradition and the Benares style of Thumrie under the legendary Kaumudi Munshi and semi-classical music from Uday Mazumdar". Falu later continued "studying under the late sarangi/vocal master Ustad Sultan Khan, and with the legendary Kishori Amonkar".

The right notes

Falu knew learning music was going to change her life. Fast forward to nearly two decades later, the artiste is a Grammy Award winner, having won the honour this year in the Best Children’s Album category for her work ‘A Colorful World’.

Born and raised in Mumbai, Falu moved to the US in 2000 and was "appointed as a visiting lecturer at Tufts University". She says that her career saw a step-by-step growth over the years. "Nothing happened overnight," Falu says. "One opportunity led to another."

The singer credits various artistes such as Yo-Yo Ma, Wyclef Jean, Philip Glass, Ricky Martin, and Blues Traveler with whom she collaborated. "AR Rahman gave me the biggest break when I performed with him in the US," Falu says. This gave her the chance to perform for former US president Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama at the White House.

A ‘Zoom’ album

Falu shares how her album was created during the pandemic. "A Colorful World was the result of complete teamwork. I would never take full credit for it. My producers Kenya Autie, Mario Gabriel Sanmarti, and Tina Kids had a huge vision for this project," she says. Falu also credits her recording engineer Oscar Autie.

A Colorful World was the result of complete teamwork, said Falu

"My producers were in Spain while my other band members were in different parts of the US while I am based in New York. We would often spend hours ideating, recording and listening each bit of the album in pieces. We would record the piano in Florida while the cello was recorded somewhere else," she says.

Falu later flew to San Francisco to record the vocals. "It was difficult to work as we were not in the same place together. This was literally a 'Zoom' album," she laughs. "Covid made us adapt to technology and explore the possibility of creating music right from our homes."

Exciting plans ahead

Since winning the Grammys, the singer says her email and phone have not stopped buzzing. "I am excited to work on my next project, perform more live concerts, and also look for collaborations," she says. As the conversation ends, Falu shares a few passing thoughts to upcoming musicians: "If I can do it anyone can do it. Never be discouraged. Believe in yourself, keep going and dreaming big."

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