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10 Women Warriors in Music
International Women’s Day is around the corner and we are excited to be celebrating our amazing women. In honor of International Women’s Day, we thought we’d certainly help you update your playlists. With some of Indian indie’s finest courtesy these ten women warriors who have been churning out tunes we simply can’t resist!
1. Monica Dogra
Indian-American singer, musician and actress Monica Dogra is without a doubt a force to reckon with. Part of Shaa’ir + Func since its inception in 2005, this powerhouse artist has also hosted four seasons of The Dewarists and judged The Stage. Her recent single “See Me Now” draws inspiration from a Dogri folk song and received a positive response.
2.Vidya Vox
Queen of mashups. Indian-American YouTuber and singer Vidya “Vox” Iyer has gone the originals route of late. We couldn’t be happier. Drawing inspiration from Western pop, Indian classical music and EDM beats. Her work has drawn praise from the likes of Major Lazer and Hrithik Roshan. She was a recently seen in India’s first YouTube originals, ARRived, on A.R. Rahman’s channel.
3. Pragnya Wakhlu
Srinagar born and Pune raised singer-songwriter Pragnya Wakhlu‘s music magically introduces the world to the nuances of Kashmiri culture. Her album, Kahwa Speaks, bares testament to her talent – in fact, a song from this album, “Katyuchuk My Love,” earned her Bronze at this year’s VIMA in the genre-bender song of the year category.
4. Amanda Sodhi
Washington, DC born singer-songwriter, lyricist and filmmaker Amanda Sodhi relocated to Mumbai in 2012. From translating several of Prasoon Joshi’s lyrics from Hindi to English for his anthology Sunshine Lane. To releasing singles such as “Behind My Sunglasses” and “Puppet Life” that received Tweets from the likes of AR Rahman and Kalki Koechlin. Amanda’s latest single – “Takiye Pe Sar” was in association with Drishyam Play. When feeling disheartened with harassment in the industry in Mumbai this brave songstress relocated to Kolkata in mid-2017. To give things another shot in a new location instead of giving up and moving back home. One of the few female lyricists in the industry, Amanda‘s penned lyrics for Sagar Desai for Zoya Akthar & Reema Kagti’s series, Made In Heaven.
5. Paloma Majumder
The refreshing voice behind tracks like “Fly A Little” Paloma Majumder of Paloma and Adil’s work has certainly garnered fans from all over India. Also, based in Kolkata, this amazing singer-songwriter’s repertoire of originals are a must-add to any music buff’s playlist.
6. Kanchan Daniel
Hailed as one of the next big things in India’s Blues Rock scene, Kanchan Daniel‘s sultry vocals, powerful stage performances and outstanding songwriting skills make her an all-rounder, indeed. A trained clinical psychologist, Kanchan is a cancer survivor whose journey is nothing but inspiring. Catch her with her band, Kanchan Daniel & The Beards, and you’re bound to be mesmerized.
7. Maalavika Manoj
Known by her stage name Mali, music has been a part of Maalavika‘s life ever since her childhood days. From featuring in Dhanush’s “Sachin Anthem” in 2012 to performing on Kappa TV to releasing a critically acclaimed five-track EP, Rush, her melancholic style of songs is endearing, indeed. She’s also lent her gorgeous voice to Tamil feature films from time to time and major ad campaigns like the Siyaram ad featuring Ranveer Singh.
8. Suyasha Sengupta
Suyasha Sengupta is better known as Plastic Parvati to fans around all of India. Winner of the prestigious Toto Music Award. This Kolkata based artist’s album “Songs About Lovers” is a wonderful example of honest songwriting on full display!
9. Gowri Jayakumar
