• Anisha Nandan | nandananisha575@gmail.com

Anjana Padmanabhan is a name that people have never forgotten. She is the child genius who won the first-ever Indian Idol Junior Super Singer Junior competition when she was just 10 years old. Recently, she shared the same stage and collaborated with three-time Grammy winner Ricky Kej. She spoke about her experience in the exclusive interview with Swar Aalap.

How did you get into music?

I was merely a kid when I started. At home, I’d hum around as I really enjoy singing. My parents noticed that I was interested in music. They saw that I have singing skills. So they enrolled me in some basic Indian music classes. That’s when I started with songs, and it all began. My mother was ultimately the driving force behind my participation in the Indian idol Super Singer Junior. I was only eight years old, and everything occurred so quickly.

What inspires you and motivates you? 

To be honest, I just enjoy doing music. It’s like waking up every day and getting to sing. My love for music, in general, drives me a lot, but in a good way. It makes me want to do this and just think about it as a serious career. As well as working on incredibly interesting projects with really great people in the industry. All of this summarizes and motivates me. I began singing mostly because I grew up in a musical environment. My father used to play a lot of music at home. I used to listen to a wide range of music. But it was singer Shreya Ghoshal who sparked my interest in music and inspired me to begin singing. She is an inspiration to me. And she happened to be my judge on Indian Idol.

You recently did a concert with Ricky Kej. What was it like performing on stage with the three-time Grammy winner?

Actually, this wasn’t our first time working together. Before this, I worked with him on an album that had around 30 songs for UNICEF. The songs promoted sustainable development. I also performed with him at a UNICEF concert where many other well-known artists, like Salim-Sulaiman, Benny Dayal, Hariharan Sir, and many others, also performed. The concert happened online. As it was during COVID times. But eventually, I was able to share the stage with him again this time. So I was very excited about that. It was a really nice experience. On top of that, due to the weather in general, the vibe of the concert was just right. It was a success.

How did you get in touch with him? Why did he choose you to perform with him?

It’s a very funny story. I met him through a friend. Her name is Mala Mary Martina. She runs a company in Bangalore, known as “I Love Mondays.” She had done an event in a cafe in Indiranagar, Bangalore where she called me and other guests, and Ricky sir was one of them. It was a casual talk show. There I met Ricky Kej, sir, for the first time. And I just so happened to perform a live song on that show, and Rickey sir liked it. A week later, I was in his studio, and I recorded with him. Then, a month later, I did the UNICEF album with him. Then, almost six months later, we did a concert. Everything just kept happening.

You both have different styles of singing. So, what was the chemistry like on stage?

My major strength has always been Bollywood music and Indian classical music in Bollywood. That’s what I predominantly do. And Sir’s music is actually a fusion of Indian music and music across the globe. I, therefore, perform the concert’s song, which includes Indian music. It’s similar to how there are two parts to fusion music when two artists are performing. One is the Western part, while the other is the Indian part. So I played the Indian. And I’m learning a lot from it. Sir’s song combines two different cultures and musical styles. Personally, I believe that the more you collaborate and make music, the more music will evolve in general. Music is for making everyone feel good, and people come together to make it happen. And for me, being a part of that with Ricky Kej sir, was incredible.