Fiercely unique, Vandana Jain, Jasleen Powar and Shivani Ahlowalia are shaking up the music world, one unapologetic composition after the other. Simone Louis speaks to them about identity and artistry.
INSPIRED AND UNORTHODOX – VANDANA JAIN
Brought up in a musical family, she spent her evenings with her father, singing along to Bollywood songs. Brooklyn-based graphic designer turned-performer Vandana Jain explored her passion for music further with a gospel and Latin language choir at her all-girls school in Bengaluru, but didn’t take it seriously until she started experimenting with it in New York. Only when she started performing live did it became a real career choice to her. A testament to Jain’s attention to detail, her debut EP Vandamner came with her own complex album art and bespoke record sleeve, sealed with red wax and twine, while her work — which she describes as “moody electronica” and a “cerebral pop hybrid” — reflects her journey from India to London and Brooklyn.
FORMATIVE QUEST
“Art and filmmaking were my foremost obsessions. When you’re out of school and working a job, you think it’s the career you’re supposed to have, but I had to question that. There’s no smartness to American advertising, I felt stifled even though I was really enjoying my freelance design work. I missed singing and playing far too much to ignore the impulse, but there’s societal pressure to strive on even when you don’t completely love what you do. That’s painful — to diminish your true calling. I’m blessed that I had the opportunity to develop my skills. The eclectic tapestry of both musical and aesthetic influences has informed my work. But the creative journey is not all glamour and fun, as we know. My journey, besides being a creative one, has also been a spiritual one.”
STIRRING INHERITANCE
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Esta historia es de la edición November 2016 de Verve.
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Making Amends
This generation’s penchant for thoughtless consumption gets Madhu Jain roiled up, and she wonders if nature is getting its own back for our missteps…
Diamonds With Provenance
In keeping with the company’s commitment to environmental and social responsibility, Anisa Kamadoli Costa, chief sustainability officer at Tiffany & Co. and chairman and president at The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, enlightens Shirin Mehta on the efforts that make the jewellery giant an industry leader in transparency
SARTORIAL ECONOMICS
Sisters Tashi and Tara Mitra demonstrate to Akanksha Pandey how deviating from the mainstream can bend the way we think, live and dress
NOTES TO SELF
An anthropomorphized tiger’s perspective, a viscerally worded futuristic interpretation of loss, a critique of performative activism, a meta reflection on the earth’s crises. Told through different lenses, Janaki Lenin, Indrapramit Das, Keshava Guha and Roshan Ali’s stories — written exclusively for Verve — attempt to make sense of the fraught reality that we exist in today
The Eternal Optimist
As Generation X and xennials grapple with fully transitioning to conscious living, young millennials and Generation Z are leading the charge to reverse human-caused environmental damage. Sahar Mansoor, founder and CEO of the Bengaluru-based zero-waste social enterprise Bare Necessities, has a simple overarching philosophy: consume less and stay positive. Verve gets deeper into the mindset of the action-oriented earth advocate
Redemption SONGS
Indian music festivals have been demonstrating a refreshing sense of responsibility in terms of their ecological impact. Interacting with stakeholders who strive to make these large-scale events greener, Akhil Sood investigates the reasons behind the improved attitudes of audiences and the increase in corporate support.
earth hour
Crafted using nature’s elements, these dials draw inspiration from the many heterogeneous materials and hues around us.Verve turns its lens onto a mesmerising few
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Children are holding adults accountable for both the grim future they are facing and the toll this is taking on their mental health. Madhumita Bhattacharyya initiates conversations with families of young climate activists and observes the extent to which parenting has changed in the face of catastrophe
NATURAL JUSTICE
Most of us are only just waking up to the urgency of climatic action. When the stakes are so high, what can individual action solve? Mridula Mary Paul, an environmental policy expert, is proof of the tenacity needed to effect systemic change. It’s not glamorous, and the rewards are few and far between, but that doesn’t stop her from aiming big, finds Anandita Bhalerao
Along For The Ride
Navigating Indian streets as a woman is hard enough. But what is it like while riding a bicycle? Bengaluru-based Shreya Dasgupta, a regular cyclist, speaks to five urban women about the pros and cons of this increasingly popular means of transport.
