By Murtaza Ali Khan
NEW YORK (TIP): New York-based Indian singer Falguni Shah, known by her stage name Falu, recently won a Grammy Award for her album ‘A Colorful World’ in the Best Children’s Album category.Falu made her screen debut in Emmy-nominated filmmaker Tirlok Malik’s 2014 film ‘On Golden Years.’ Tirlok Malik and Prof. Indrajit S. Saluja, Chief Editor & Publisher, The Indian Panorama congratulated Falu for winning the Grammy Award. “Falu is a great person and very talented singer. Here the whole team of On Golden Years would like to congratulate Falu for winning the prestigious Grammy Award for her album ‘A Colorful World’. While working on that film everybody danced to the singing of Falu, which was a highlight number in the film. We feel proud to have worked with her,” recollected Tirlok Malik. Ahead of her emphatic win, Falu also performed the opening number at the Grammy Premiere Ceremony. She is the only Indian-origin woman to be nominated in Best Children’s Music Album category at Grammys twice. What’s really amazing is that she is the second Indian artist to win a Grammy this year. The other was music composer—Grammy 2015 winner—Ricky Kej, who won the Best New Age Album award for Divine Tides.
Falu received her early training in music in Mumbai, where she trained under the legendary sarangi and vocal master Ustad Sultan Khan. Falu had moved to the U.S. in 2000 when she was appointed as a visiting lecturer at the prestigious Tufts University. Subsequently in 2006, she was appointed Carnegie Hall’s ambassador of Indian Music in 2006. In 2009, she also performed for former President Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama at their first State Dinner at the White House. Over the years, Falu has collaborated with the likes of composer Philip Glass, Indian musical maestro A R Rahman, Wyclef Jean, Ricky Martin, Bernie Worrell, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
(Murtaza Ali Khan is an award-winning critic and journalist who has been covering art, culture, and entertainment for the last 10 years. He tweets at @MurtazaCritic)