Mantras & Music: Chandrika Tandon's Grammy Journey

'It was great to have the Indian roots reflected in full force.'

IMAGE: Chandrika Tandon after winning the Grammy's. Photographs: Kind courtesy Chandrika Tandon/Instagram.com

Borders and boundaries blurred as congratulations poured in for Indian-American vocalist Chandrika Krishnamoorthy Tandon, who won the Grammy for her album Triveni under the category for the Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album on Monday.

In an e-mail interview to Business Standard, Tandon said: "It is surreal and exciting on many levels.

"Triveni was a collaborative experiment bringing ancient mantras in a global bed of music -- and the fact that it succeeded is extremely gratifying."

The 71-year-old business leader made history alongside South African flutist Wouter Kellerman and Japanese cellist Eru Matsumoto, triumphing over notable contenders like Anoushka Shankar and Ricky Kej.

About her Indian-origin competitors, Tandon said: "We had such fantastic fellow nominees in our category with awesome music -- it was great to have the Indian roots reflected in full force."

Tandon began her professional career as a Citibank banker in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War.

As one of just eight women in her IIM-A batch, she later became the first Indian-American woman elected partner at McKinsey & Company in the 1980s.

In 1992, she founded the New York-based consultancy, Tandon Capital Associates.

IMAGE: Chandrika Tandon with South African flutist Wouter Kellerman and Japanese cellist Eru Matsumoto at the Grammy's.

So, is the corporate world still an integral part of her life?

"Indeed it is," she said, "but it is not only my corporate life but also my work in the US academic sphere as a trustee of New York University (the largest private global university) and chair of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and other organisations like the New York Academy of Sciences.

"Keeps both sides of the brain active and engaged."

From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to business leaders like Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Harsh Goenka, as well as expatriate organisations such as India in New York, many extended their felicitations.

'Congratulations to @chandrikatandon on winning the Grammy. We take great pride in her accomplishments as an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and, of course, musician! It is commendable how she has remained passionate about Indian culture and has worked to popularise it,' Modi posted on X, recalling his 2023 meeting with her in New York.

A trained vocalist in Carnatic and Hindustani classical music, Tandon was previously nominated for a Grammy in 2011 in the Contemporary World Music category for her debut album, Soul Call.

The older sister of former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, Tandon grew up in Chennai, attended Madras Christian College, and later earned a master's degree from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad.

'This remarkable achievement reflects her exceptional talent and dedication to the arts,' MCC's alumni association posted on X.

During an interview for CNBC's The Brave Ones series, Tandon spoke about a pivotal moment in her career when, despite rapid business growth, she felt unfulfilled.

'I started to think... 'Is this what my life's going to be? One deal after another?'' she recalled.

In the same series, her daughter, Lita Tandon, shared that this turning point led her mother to fully embrace music and the things that brought her joy.

Inspired by her passion, Tandon produced her first album, Soul Call, as a gift for her father-in-law's 90th birthday, featuring recordings of his favourite chants.

The album later earned a Grammy nomination for Contemporary World Music in 2011.