On My Playlist

Singer-songwriter Gini talks about music, memories, and finding her niche.

- VEDANT SETHI

She started writing poetry when she was barely six. By the time she was 15, singer-songwriter Gini was out with her first song in 2021. Over the next three years, she released seven songs with the latest coming out earlier this year. At just 18, Gini is redefining the soundscape of Indian music with her heartfelt compositions that weave stories, emotions, and nostalgia into each melody. From learning instruments on her own to drawing inspiration from India’s cultural diversity, Gini shares her journey with Bazaar India that is as dynamic as her music.

Harper’s Bazaar: What inspired you to create music at such a young age?

Gini: There’s this phrase I use a lot—I collected skills like Pokemon while growing up. There were a lot of different things that I have tried. But somehow, I just kept coming back to music. I think around the age of 10, I had gone to my grandparents’ house and woke up in the morning wanting a guitar! My granddad got me a blue guitar. When I held it the first time, something felt right. I started playing the harmonium when I was six, guitar when I was 10, the piano when I was 15, and whatever other instruments I could get my hands on. Again, collecting instruments like Pokemon.

Then it occurred to me that I could combine the poetry that I had written earlier and the music I learned to play. And somehow I started turning my poetry into songs. It was fascinating how a story that I could tell seemed all the more interesting and alive through music.