In a career spanning over a decade, Raja Kumari has constantly tried to redefine boundaries, blending classical Indian sounds with modern hip-hop and electronica. She has collaborated with some of the biggest names in Indian and international music including AR Rahman, Anirudh, and Gwen Stefani. Her latest album, Kashi to Kailash, released on February 21, through her independent label Godmother Records, is her most personal and spiritual project. It is, she says, “a sonic temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.” Speaking over the phone from Bengaluru, where she had been attending a retreat at the Art of Living ashram, Raja Kumari spoke about the journey that led to this project.
Returning to roots
“I think it’s the first time I’m releasing something (deeply spiritual), but it’s actually how I started my artistic journey,” she says. “I began at six years old, with my first arangetram (in Bharatanatyam, it refers to the debut performance of a dancer) at seven, and one of the first performances I learned was Shivathandav and Mahishasurmardini (both related to the Hindu deity Shiva). So, my relationship with Shiva and (Hindu goddess) Devi has been lifelong. Even my character of Raja Kumari (her real name is Svetha Yallapragada Rao) is inspired by Devi. Growing up in America, I was never drawn to Superman or Batman when I had Hanuman and Arjun.”
This connection to Indian classical traditions extends to her compositional process. “I’ve incorporated jathis (rhythmic patterns) into all of my albums,” she explains. “Before, I tried to fit this into the American space, but with Kashi to Kailash, I finally stopped trying to fit in. I went all in this time.”
For Raja Kumari, Kashi to Kailash was not just an album; it was a culmination of years of spiritual and professional introspection. “In our darkest times, God speaks to us. People think setbacks are just obstacles, but they’re really setups for something greater. In 2023, I had one of the biggest performances of my life with John Legend. But after that, I faced challenges in the music industry. I felt blackballed. My Indian tour was cancelled, and I had to sit with the realisation that something had to change.”
That period of turmoil led her to a vision of Kedarnath, a place she had visited 20 years ago. “I went there asking Shiva, ‘What do I do next? My family is pressuring me. I’m unmarried. I’m doing my best, but nothing is working.’ And he told me to surrender. That moment changed everything. I spent the next year off the album cycle, learning the business from top to bottom, from taxes to contracts. I also did Solah Somvar Vrat (a 16-Monday fast believed to bring good fortune). I no longer felt anxious about my future.”
She also attended this year’s Maha Kumbh, where she felt “very protected and loved.” “The Kumbh experience was amazing. We didn’t even have VIP tickets; we just went. Seeing the Akhadas, meeting Naga Sadhus, and receiving blessings from them was incredible. I went with no plans, just in receiving mode. I saw the Kalagram and was inspired by its beauty. Being at the largest human gathering on earth, dedicated to Shiva, made me feel like I was in the right gang.”
Raja Kumari
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A devotional calling
When the time came to make the album, Raja Kumari felt guided by something greater. “On January 25, I called my collaborator Nacho Larraza. He flew in from Spain the next day, and we started immediately. Within 28 days, from the first mic recording to release, it was done. My previous albums had songs that took two to three years to come out. This one was different.”
For Raja Kumari, the album is also about making Sanskrit mantras accessible to a global audience. “I feel my generation needs to benefit from Sanskrit. They don’t have to be Hindu — these songs belong to all of us as humans. If I can introduce more people to the power of the mantra in a way that blends into the music they already love, then that’s my service.”
“I’m hoping kids learn the songs. People have been tagging me, saying, ‘I didn’t think I’d be at the gym listening to a 3000-year-old mantra, but this goes so hard.’”
She sees music as more than just melody and rhythm; it is a “language that connects souls.” “Musicians are like antennas,” she adds, “To be a musician, you have to be sensitive to frequency and vibrations that are divine. When you hear a melody, you’re not making it up. We’re not the creators; we’re just the transmitters. We are the vessels.”
It is why collaboration feels sacred to her, why there is a moment when a song just clicks. “If a few of us can agree, then more people will also resonate with it.” And that, she says, is what makes music universal. “Music is the lubricant of spirituality.”
Published – February 27, 2025 03:48 pm IST
