US-based musician Priya Darshini (37), originally from India, has won a nomination at the Grammy awards this year, for her debut album. Titled Periphery, the album – which was released by Chesky Records in May 2020 - is nominated in the Best New Age Album category a the 63rd Grammy Awards.
Elle (India) Magazine has said on Periphery – “In the backdrop of the current anti-immigration rhetoric, artist Priya Darshini’s album, Periphery, stands out as a beacon of hope for cultural unanimity.”
The Tamil-origin singer grew up in Mumbai, and is trained in Carnatic music. She moved to the US a few years ago, and has been experimenting with combining American Pop and Carnatic music.
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Now based out of Brooklyn, New York, Priya has sung for over 100 television and radio commercials, as well as recorded for several Indian movie sound tracks. She has also tried her hand in acting, marathon, entrepreneurship, as well as in environmentalism and human rights, according to her official website. She is also a trustee of the Mumbai-based non-profit organisation Jana Rakshita – an NGO working with under-served Paediatric Cancer patients, and building infrastructure for schools, with a focus on education for girls.
Notably, the single titled ‘Home’ in Periphery was shot in Borivali National Forest in Mumbai. “This song (and the record) is an exploration of what ‘home’ might feel or look like for those of us whose backgrounds and identities are complex. I’ve always lived on the periphery—feeling most at home in nature—which is why we suspended the video into land, water, and sky,” Priya Darshini has said on her website.
The Rolling Stone (India) magazine has also praised Periphery, saying, “Multi-genre and featuring a host of artists, “Home” showcases Priya Darshini’s versatility and sonic diversity, mirroring new age artists but also retaining Indian classical leanings.”
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