{"id":29623,"date":"2023-04-29T07:00:44","date_gmt":"2023-04-29T01:30:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/\/?post_type=story&p=29623"},"modified":"2023-04-28T15:54:34","modified_gmt":"2023-04-28T10:24:34","slug":"indian-american-musician-sanj-blends-classical-carnatic-with-rb","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/indian-american-musician-sanj-blends-classical-carnatic-with-rb\/","title":{"rendered":"Indian American musician SANJ blends classical Carnatic with R&B"},"content":{"rendered":"

(April 29, 2023) <\/strong>In the pulsating heart of New York, where music is as much the soul of the city as its towering skyscrapers, a new rhythm is emerging. It is a melody woven from the threads of two vastly different worlds, of ancient traditions and modern dreams. Indian American musician Sanjana Nayak, better known as SANJ, is bringing the East and West together through her music. Making waves with her new latest album ‘Nightingale<\/em>‘, the youngster’s journey as a musician has been a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows. However, her persistence and determination have helped her rise above her uncertainties, and produce some soul-stirring numbers.<\/p>\n

\"Musician

The Global Indian<\/em><\/a>, who is trained in Carnatic music, believes her music pushes the boundaries of traditional fusion music, highlighting her creative ethos in a way she hasn\u2019t tapped into before. “My music can best be described as R&B with sultry flows, intertwined with my Desi-Carnatic roots. I would say that my music is targeted towards those wanting to hear more worldly music that treads the cross-cultural balance of R&B and Bollywood, subtly and seamlessly. My music also highlights my creative ethos in a way I haven\u2019t tapped into before,” the musician said in an interview.<\/p>\n

Growing up with music<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Born in Jacksonville, Florida to Indian parents, the musician moved around a lot from city to city – going from Richmond to Chicago. “Growing up, my parents were pretty strict about grades, social life, etc. But they were always supportive and pushed me towards becoming a better musician, which I\u2019m really grateful for. I played violin as a child,” she said.<\/p>\n

SANJ grew up training in the Carnatic-style of vocals since the age of four. Bollywood music and bhajans were always playing in her house, especially when her grandparents were around. Her initial inspiration for truly enjoying music as both a listener and a musician was the soundtracks of movies like Veer Zaara<\/em> and Devdas<\/em>. “But on the other end, I also was inspired by the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Mary J Blige, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Trey Songz, and Coldplay when I was young as well, and this helped me develop that duality of styles that you hear in my music now,” SANJ informed.<\/p>\n