New Delhi: Indian American rapper Raja Kumari is a star in her personal proper. The Grammy-nominated singer has given a number of hit singles, chopping throughout totally different cultures and identities whereas being true to her roots in India. From collaborating with a singer like John Legend to performing creating one thing like ‘City Slums’ with Divine, Raja Kumari has carved her personal area of interest within the music trade.
During an unique dialog with Zee English Digital, Raja shared insights about her life and struggles as an Indian American within the US and the way her twin identification formed her music profession. Raja additionally talked about how her newest album ‘The Bridge’ is an ode to goddess Saraswati and why she considers artwork as one thing non secular and divine.
1. How necessary is your identification as an Asian American/ Indian American in your work and the way has it formed you as an artist?
Raja Kumari – I believe identification and tradition has been the muse of my artwork. From the very starting of the tasks, I talked in regards to the twin identification of each the cultures and being in-between. With this album, I’ve truly gone past that to combine the 2 elements of my identification and I really feel ‘The Bridge’ is about integration and evolution.
2. You have been born and introduced up within the US with roots in India. So initially once you began coaching in Indian dance varieties and music, how troublesome was that, contemplating that not many individuals in America would perceive that?
Raja Kumari – I really feel I used to be very sheltered in the way in which I grew up. We had this microcosm inside my home that was very Indian, we had Indian meals, listened to Indian music and my guru truly lived in my residence since I used to be 7 years of age. I might dance for about 4-5 hours a day. So despite the fact that I lived otherwise, it gave me a extremely robust reference to classical dance. However, it was troublesome to make sense of that after I would go to high school as youngsters would see the ‘mehendi’ or the ‘alta’ on my fingers and folks would suppose my fingers can be diseased. So, I had this complete different life, like touring India after which I might come again and folks would ask me what tribe as a result of they could not even find India on a map. So that was a bit troublesome nevertheless it helped me use music to interrupt that.
3. Rap is principally a male-dominated area and you’ve got breached that carved your personal area of interest. What had been your struggles once you began out?
Raja Kumari – India itself is a male-dominated area so think about Indian rap. I had this aggressive American spirit, that I might do something kind of angle and I needed to actually cut-through the trade. I needed to show myself over and over but there shall be nonetheless individuals who would attribute my success to only one collaboration despite the fact that I had launched a number of music movies and albums. In India, after I was starting in 2016, I needed to be extra aggressive than the boys in order that I could possibly be heard. But now that I’ve fought my battles, I really feel that I can lean into my female facet and permit issues to return to me. So, I had to make use of that hyper intense facet however now I really feel extra balanced.
4. Your songs are stuffed with feminist power and relies on social points, so how do you channelize that anger and voice by way of your music?
Raja Kumari – I really feel like I simply put a voice to issues I’m not afraid to say. I like to make songs that encourage self-confidence in folks to stroll of their energy, not doubt themselves. This music is written from my increased self to myself as a result of it jogs my memory of my energy and makes me imagine that I make it out okay. So if folks can relate to the problems and struggles they confronted throughout the pandemic, this may be the soundtrack of their lives.
Check out her album right here
5. Tell us one thing extra about your album ‘The Bridge’ and its reference to goddess Saraswati?
Raja Kumari – As a classical dancer, every part you do is an providing to the God. We take it proper out of the temple and put it on stage. It’s referred to as ‘Manas Puja’ that’s you’re doing a puja however you don’t have anything in your hand, identical to the spirit. Unlike my different albums that are made for numbers or success, this album was made for the sake of artwork and I used to be not chasing one thing. We had been trapped inside our home throughout the pandemic and something I might do to precise myself was to place my ideas collectively and make music. So, I imagined myself providing it on the altar of goddess Saraswati as a pure providing of my artwork, that’s how I believe artwork ought to be divine and non secular.
