Diversity Rules Magazine

4 Diversity Rules Magazine April 2019 Ananya is a singer- songwriter based between Mumbai, London and Los Angeles, and the first homegrown ar st to go Pla num with an English language track in India - some- thing she has now done four mes, break- ing the dominance of Bollywood music on the Indian music scene. Since signing with Universal Music India in 2016, the self-taught santoor and guitar player, has reached over 125m combined streams and collaborated with ar sts such as Afrojack, Jim Beanz and Mood Melodies. She has also performed at major Indian concerts including Global Ci zen, Oktoberfest and Sunburn, Asia's big- gest electronic music fes val, and has plans to perform in The UK and US over the coming year. Ananya, who has been listed as one of GQ's Most Influen al Young Indians and one of Forbes' Women to Watch, is working on an upcoming EP which is due for release in April via UMG and Island Records UK. Outside her music, Ananya is a strong believer in equality. She uses music to bring people from all backgrounds together and organizes music fes vals in Mumbai to benefit the mental health organisa- on she founded, Mpower. Mpower was launched a er she ba led her own issues whilst at Oxford University and works towards dispelling the s gma associated with mental health illnesses and provid- ing care in India where there's been li le to date. Her last two concerts have brought together over 30 thousand people. She recently spoke about Mpower at One Young World. She also promotes female empowerment through her business Svatantra which helps women entre- preneurs in rural India grow their businesses and become financially independent. Svatantra means 'freedom' in Hindi. JRK: Before we get into the interview can you tell us a bit about Ananya Birla, where you are from and all that good background stuff? AB: I'm a 24-year-old singer-song- writer originally from India. I went to Oxford Uni, where I read economics and management. At the moment, I split my me between Mumbai, London and LA, where I have been working on my upcoming EP. Music livens my soul and it was a massive part of my life grow- ing up – there was nothing that made me happier than playing my guitar or listening to the radio. I was kind of a quiet kid, but song wri ng and performing gave me this amazing way of expressing myself. I started learning an Indian instrument called the santoor when I was like 8 or 9, then, as a teen- ager, I taught myself the guitar so I could play along with my favourite ar sts. When I got to university in the UK, I began gigging every weekend in random li le spots around London. Pre y quickly, I realized that this was what I wanted to do with my life. Alongside my music, I run Svatantra, a sustainable business which empowers women in rural India by giving them access to financial services, and Mpow- er, an ini a ve which campaigns to stamp out the s gma associated with mental illness in India, as well as providing care for those who struggle. JRK: You have just released a new single en tled, "Unstoppable." Can you tell us what the song is about? AB: I released Unstoppable on Interna onal Wom- en's Day to celebrate women around the world Unstoppable A Chat With Ananya Birla By Jim Koury, Editor/Publisher

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