RIKA aka Chandrika Darbari, has just won the award for the Artist of the Year ASIA at the 18th annual Urban Music Awards 2022. This win celebrates RIKA’s recognition in the highly-competitive global music industry.
It is a matter of great pride when our fellow countrymen – the Indian diaspora settled abroad – win laurels in their respective fields. This is certainly the case for RIKA aka Chandrika Darbari, who has just won the award for the Artist of the Year ASIA at the 18th annual Urban Music Awards 2022. With over 2.7 million music fans voting to pick the winners across categories this year, this win celebrates RIKA’s recognition in the highly-competitive global music industry. On this auspicious occasion, she joins Sunday Guardian for a chat. Excerpts from an edited interview:
Q. How did you enter the field of music? Did your Indian roots influence your choices?
A. I’ll start with the second part of your question. My great grandfather, J Nigam, was the first ICS officer during the British Raj. He resigned from his role of Magistrate, when the British asked him to shoot the revolutionaries. He refused and instead joined them as a freedom fighter. This made him a hero in Ballia town where he has his own statue. My father and his family are from Agra but he was raised in Delhi. I have visited Delhi with him and have also been to Mumbai, which I loved very much. It felt amazing to connect to my roots and embrace my heritage. So yes, to answer your question – my Indian roots have definitely played a big role in my choices.
I’ve been writing songs since I was nine years old, and I always felt like music was the best way to express myself. I studied music in high school and finished with an A* and have done courses with the prestigious Berklee College of Music. One of the first songs I ever wrote became my first single called ‘No Need’. It was released independently in 2017, and I was amazed at how well it did. It played on MTV India and B4U Music, and it charted top 80 in India too! I’ve never looked back since. I taught myself how to play the piano when I was nine, and when we had our first lockdown due to Covid, it gave me the opportunity to hone my guitar skills. I also improved my understanding of the production side of music.
Q. How did it feel to win the Urban Music Award?
A. I feel so grateful and honoured to have won. I thank all my fans and everyone who has ever believed in me. The support for my music and the love I receive is the biggest award of all. I was honoured even to just be nominated alongside amazing artists like B Praak, Sidhu Moosewala, Neha Kakkar and Jasmine Sandlas. The actual award ceremony was also lovely. I hadn’t been to a proper event since Covid and it was a really nice experience. I took my family with me and it was so lovely celebrating that win with the people I hold dearest to me.
Q. Has it been difficult for you to break into the competitive global music industry?
A. I would say the biggest competition is with myself. I’m always striving to better what I previously put out. I tend not to look at what others are doing, simply because I am not like anyone else – there is only one of me in the whole world. Fighting the urge to follow trends is probably a challenge for most artists because it’s a constant battle between staying authentic and staying relevant for current mainstream audience. I believe though, that if you stay true to yourself, your work will become timeless. Authenticity never goes out of style.
Q. How does it feel to be collaborating with Warner Music India?
A. I feel blessed and grateful for the belief that Jay Mehta, the MD, and the Warner Music team have in me. They are a very exciting and innovative team to be working with. I’m used to being managed by my brother Resh and father and we are a close knit family, and the Warner Music India team makes me feel the same way. I hope that our journey together is going to be successful in India and globally. We released a song last year called ‘Love to You’ featuring the talented Ankit Tiwari. That song made me the cover of New Music Friday India on Spotify, and brought in editorial support from Jio Saavn and Apple Music. I can’t wait to show everyone what Warner Music India and I have been working on together!
Q. How would you describe your genre of music?
A. My music is a reflection of myself – it’s youthful, honest and very memorable! I always stay true to my heritage and try to incorporate the best of Indian sounds with my Western flair. I have an affinity towards pop music as I grew up listening to that. I also love sad acoustic tracks which really show someone’s deepest feelings and are the perfect cross between vulnerable and hooky. I have been doing a lot of writing and I feel I have found something very special and new sonically, which I can’t wait to share with the world!
Q. Apart from your musical career, you are a social media star – do you think that’s a necessary part of the music persona?
A. I feel social media is an amazing tool to connect with your audience. I see that those who are the most successful, have the magic balance between letting the world in and having a piece of their life to themselves. Further, social media gives you the chance to expand your audience in places you wouldn’t have been able to ten years ago. Everyone can now find things which they individually like and connect to.
Q. What does it mean to represent the Asian diaspora in the global music scene?
A. It means a lot to me. I grew up never seeing an Asian pop singer on MTV, so when I get messages saying how much I inspired another Asian’s career or passion in music and singing, it really touches me. I love my culture, my heritage and I wear my roots with pride. It’s amazing to represent Asians in the global music scene. With so much talent, surely we are next up to take over the world.
Q. What are you working on next?
A. I have made so much new music recently, and I can’t wait to share it all with you, but the best things in life take time and hard work. I only want to put out something which has my whole heart and soul in it, otherwise it is unfair to the listeners. However, I plan to release some special projects in coming months! Please follow me on Instagram @rikaoffical to keep up with my journey!
The interviewer pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com. She can be reached on nooranand@gmail.com.