Chandrika Tandon, an Indian-American business leader and musician, and the sister of Indra Nooyi — former CEO of PepsiCo — won a Grammy Award for her album Triveni at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.
At 71, Tandon took home the award in the Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album category for the seven-track album, which blends ancient Vedic chants with world music to create a meditative and healing experience.
Triveni, named after the sacred confluence of three rivers, features Tandon’s Vedic chants alongside the musical talents of South African flautist Wouter Kellerman and Japanese cellist Eru Matsumoto.
During her acceptance speech, Tandon shared the power of music, saying, “Music is love, music is light, and music is laughter, and let’s all be surrounded by love light and laughter. Thank you for the music and thank you for every one of you who make the music.”
Tandon grew up in a traditional home in Chennai, where she was immersed in Vedic chants and Carnatic music. Along with her sister Indra, Tandon was raised in a family deeply connected to the teachings of the Samaveda.
Beyond music, Tandon has had a successful career in business, becoming the first Indian-American woman partner at McKinsey and founding Tandon Capital Associates. She and her husband Ranjan donated $100 million to the New York School of Engineering in 2015.
While this is her first Grammy win, Tandon was previously nominated in 2010 for her album Om Namo Narayana: Soul Call. This year, she was nominated alongside notable artists like producer Ricky Kej and sitar player Anoushka Shankar.
