Indian-American singer Falguni Shah, broadly known as Falu, won a Grammy Award for A Colorful World in the best children’s album category.
The singer-songwriter took to Instagram to thank the Recording Academy, which conducts the Grammys, for the win.
Earlier in 2018, the singer, known for her “modern inventive style with a formidable Indian classically-shaped vocal talent”, was nominated for a Grammy in the same category for her album Falu’s Bazaar.
About Falguni Shah
Shah has trained in Hindustani Classical music in the Jaipur musical tradition and in the Benares style of thumri under Kaumudi Munshi and semi-classical music from Uday Mazumdar. She later continued studying under the late sarangi/vocal master Ustad Sultan Khan, and later with the legendary Kishori Amonkar (Jaipur style).
Falguni moved to the US in 2000 and joined the Boston-based Indo-American band Karishma as lead vocalist. In 2001, she met Asian Massive leader Karsh Kale and hit the nationwide university, club, and festival circuits. After fulfilling 2-year Indian music visiting lectureship at Tufts University in Boston, Falu moved to New York where she formed her own band. They began performing at music venues throughout New York, quickly garnering the attention of fans across the city.
Her subsequent career there led her to collaborate with Yo-Yo Ma, Wyclef Jean, Philip Glass, Ricky Martin, Blues Traveler, and A R Rahman, among others.
Falu’s band includes musicians who draw from Indian classical, alternative rock, contemporary pop, and electronic styles to create a mix of East and West—one reason why The New York Times featured Falu in a story titled “Bridging Cultural Gaps with Music.”
In 2015, Falu was named one of the 20 most influential global Indian women by Economic Times, India. In 2018, she won the Women Icons of India Award in Mumbai, India.