2. Falu Shah
Mumbai born Falu Shah is a New York-based singer and songwriter who trained in Jaipur gharana musical tradition. Also known for her fusion of ancient classical Indian melodies and contemporary western sound, she trained under the legendary sarangi/vocal master Ustad Sultan Khan. She has performed as a soloist with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project and delivered her debut solo performance at Carnegie Hall (Zankel) in May 2006. She collaborated with Wyclef Jean in early 2007, lending her vocal style to the score of Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut A Place in Time. Her original song Rabba became the first Hindi song ever to be aired on the network. Her “Indie Hindi” musical style made its mark in the Wall Street Journal as representative of a new class of musical hybrids. She made a special appearance at the Time 100 Gala—Time magazine’s yearly gala where she performed a rendition of “Jai Ho” alongside Slumdog Millionaire film composer AR Rahman, for an exclusive audience which included First Lady Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Barbara Walters, Stella McCartney and more. In November 2009, Falu was invited to the White House to sing alongside A.R. Rahman at President Obama’s first State Dinner in honor of the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Produced by Grammy-winning producer Danny Blume, Falu released her second album entitled Foras Road, a collection of original and traditional songs. The New York Times featured Falu in a story titled “Bridging Cultural Gaps with Music.”
