Press

Soul Call by Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon - Karma Bhatt Blog, March 21, 2011

Ever wondered what happens once someone has achieved money & fame in their professional career? How do they spend the rest of their lives? Do they go back to their first love that they might have given up because of the pressure to be successful in corporate world? Do they re-discover what really makes them happy? Read more.

Finance Guru Goes From Riches to Raga as Indian CD Seeks Grammy - Bloomberg, Feburary 11, 2011

Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon, a financial adviser who once specialized in corporate restructuring at McKinsey & Co., dabbled in music on her off- time. The hobby yielded a chanting CD called “Soul Mantra” that she recorded six years ago for her father-in-law’s 91st birthday. Read more.

A Corporate Trailblazer Goes for Grammy Gold - The Wall Street Journal, Feburary 11, 2011

She is the quintessential underdog, the unknown. Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon, a financial advisor and a trustee of New York University, is also a nominee for the Grammy Award in the Best Contemporary World Music Album category, and she's up against veterans and superstars of the music world—Bela Fleck, Bebel Gilberto, Angelique Kidjo and Sergio Mendes. Read more.

Something to croon about - Livemint Lounge, January 7, 2011

Bidding farewell to 2010 and heralding in 2011 was fairly predictable. The usual barrage of the Best and Worst of 2010, the same set of what-do-you-expect-from-the-New-Year questions in most publications, and the even more predictable New Year messages beamed out by celebrities wishing television viewers a "rocking/lovely/ happening/happy/wonderful" 2011. Read more.

Chandrika Tandon’s take on Indian classical music - PRI's The World, December 29, 2010

One of this year’s Grammy nominees is Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon. She sings a form of Indian classical music. Tandon’s album ‘Soul Call’ is nominated in the Contemporary World Music category. It’s the latest success in a life full of them.Read more.

A Sunday Conversation with Grammy Nominated World Music Performer Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon - The Ripple Effect January 30, 2011

When I was a kid, growing up in a house with Cat Stevens, Neil Diamond, and Simon and Garfunkel, the first time I ever heard Kiss's "Detroit Rock City," it was a moment of musical epiphany. It was just so vicious, aggressive and mean. It changed the way I listened to music. I've had a few minor epiphanies since then, when you come across a band that just brings something new and revolutionary to your ears.Read more.

Chandrika Tandon: following her soul’s call - Perceptive Travel, January 22, 2011

Soul Call is the name of Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon’s debut album. It is a well chosen name, not only because the music comprises Indian chant. It was in following her soul’s call to music that Tandon found her path to create the recording, a path which finds her now the recipient of a Grammy nomination for best contemporary world music album, alongside musical stars including Béla Fleck, Bebel Gilberto, Angelique Kidjo, and Sergio Mendes.Read more.

A call to the musical Soul - World Music Trends, January 13, 2011

Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon’s silky smooth vocals on her release Om Namo Narayanaya: Om Namo Narayanaya: Soul call prove to be a potent siren’s call and impossible to resist with sarod master Tejendra Narayan Majumdar’s arrangements on this Grammy-nominated recording. Read more.

She inhabits the worlds of music and finance with equal ease - Sify Finance, January 15, 2011

Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Beyonce… Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon? Unlikely as that last name may sound on this list, Tandon shares the marquee with these music superstars as a nominee for the 2011 Grammy Awards. Her presence in the group is unusual, not just because itâ€™s rare for Indian names to make it to the list of Grammy nominees, but also because it's rarer still for a business executive.Read more.

Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon's surprise world music Grammy album nomination - Examiner- New York, January 14, 2011

And the artists nominated for the Best Contemporary World Music Grammy are: Béla Fleck, Bebel Gilberto, Angelique Kidjo, Sergio Mendes and…Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon?Read more.

She inhabits the worlds of music and finance with equal ease - Business Standard, January 15, 2011

Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Beyonce… Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon? Unlikely as that last name may sound on this list, Tandon shares the marquee with these music superstars as a nominee for the 2011 Grammy Awards. Her presence in the group is unusual, not just because it’s rare for Indian names to make it to the list of Grammy nominees, but also because it’s rarer still for a business executive.Read more.

A call to the musical Soul - World Music Central, January 13, 2011

CD Review: Grammy-nominated Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon - Inside World Music,January 10, 2011

A recent Grammy-nominated album, Om Namo Narayanaya: Soul Call, is a delicious journey of ancestral significance that draws upon ancient syllabic chants to formulate songs with different Indian ragas. A classically trained Indian vocalist, Chandrika K. Tandon, brings a soothing and intriguing voice backed by incredible instruments including sarod, sitar, esraj, violin, tabla, and various drums and flutes.Read more.

The Untold Story of a GRAMMY Nomination - JustViews.net, December 30, 2010

After years of intense study and years of scouring the planet for soulful music, Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon and her album, “On Namo Narayanaya: Soul Call,” has been nominated for a GRAMMY in Best Contemporary World Music Album. She stands among other musical greats including Bela Fleck, Bebel Gilberto, Angelique Kidjo, and Sergio Mendes.Read more.

Instrument of the Gods: Chandrika Tandon’s Soul Call - The Times Of India, January 2, 2011

"The story here is NOT about me or the Grammy...it is about the music and the impact it is having on thousands of people, all over the world," Chandrika Tandon says in mild reproach to interviewers. Read more.

Thursday Tidbits.... - Big Leather Couch, January 6, 2011

My friend John has a great site called Voices To Hear. On the site he introduces you to musicians who have a story and deserve accolades. He has a story up on Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon and her album, Om Namo Narayanaya: Soul Call. The album has been nominated for a GRAMMY in the Best Contemporary World Music Album category, alongside musical greats like Béla Fleck, Bebel Gilberto, Angelique Kidjo, and Sergio Mendes. Read more.

The Unexpected Grammy Contender - All About Jazz, December 23, 2010

When the GRAMMY nominations were announced earlier this month, a light shined on the untold story of a singer little-known in the music scene. This is the tale of a woman who scoured every corner of the planet in search of soulful music, while climbing the elite ranks of business circles. After years of intense study, she is taking an ancient song form normally sung on streets and in homes, and sharing them in service to others. Her name is Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon and her album, Om Namo Narayanaya: SOUL CALL (on Soul Chants Music), has been nominated for a GRAMMY in the Best Contemporary World Music Album category, alongside musical greats like Béla Fleck, Bebel Gilberto, Angelique Kidjo, and Sergio Mendes.Read more.

In review--Soulful Bliss - The Whole Music Experience, December 22, 2010

When I first heard about vocalist Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon’s Soul Call, I thought I’d received a kirtan CD in the mail. So I felt surprised when I received a famous healing chant set to Indian pop music. Krishnamurthy Tandon sings the same chant throughout the nine tracks that appear on the invigorating CD. It’s not surprising that the overall feel compares to a Bollywood soundtrack since the producer and musicians recorded it at a soundtrack studio, with orchestral arrangement duties handled by Tejendra Narayan Majumdar.Read more.

Amateur singer's surprise - New York Post, January 6, 2011

Who says you have to be a pro to win a Grammy? Not the folks responsible for the nominations.

Indian New Yorker Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon earned a nod -- but she spends her working hours crunching numbers for the Park Avenue financial advisory firm she founded, Tandon Capital Associates. She also serves as an executive in residence for NYU's Stern School of Business. Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/music/amateur_singer_surprise_HZYis1NgpQ6nguGbOYVQ9H#ixzz1Dh0wUIje Read more.

Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon: Soul Call (Om Namo Narayanaya) - Sleeping Hedgehog, January 6, 2011

It is tempting to lead with this release’s fascinating backstory. But the music is even better. I hope it was more the music than the story that led to its nomination for a 2010 Grammy in the Best Contemporary World Music Album category, alongside greats like Béla Fleck, Bebel Gilberto, Angelique Kidjo and Sergio Mendes.Read more.

Surprise Grammy Nominee Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon - Art & Culture Maven, December 17, 2010

Grammys 2011 Focus: Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon's Om Namo Narayanaya: Soul Call - My FABE Music, December 5, 2010

OMG! I think I found the album that should win the Grammy award for 2011 in the Best Contemporary World Music Album - this is it! This woman's voice is just unbelievable and so beautiful! I am now curious into buying her whole album! It would be perfect for nights where soothing music is the call of the day. Also, this type of music is not normally in my CD collection but it's wise to broaden my horizons from time to time.Read more.

Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon’s Soul Call Creates a Community "Totally Lost" in Song

Among the GRAMMY nominations announced earlier this month, is a singer little known in the music scene. Her name is Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon and her album, Om Namo Narayanaya: SOUL CALL (on Soul Chants Music), has been nominated for a GRAMMY in the Best Contemporary World Music Album category, alongside musical greats like Béla Fleck, Bebel Gilberto, Angelique Kidjo, and Sergio Mendes.

Soul Call is more than music. The eight songs were composed around a single eight-syllable chant that is over six thousand years old - Om Na Mo Na Ra Ya Na Ya - and is believed to form a protective armor around the body. Chandrika composed each song to follow a different Indian raga. She recruited global sarod maestro Tejendra Narayan Majumdar to create arrangements using over 30 acoustic Indian classical, folk, and Western instruments including the vibraphone, acoustic guitar, and bass. It features renowned master Indian musicians recorded in Calcutta and New York.

"The beauty of Chandrika's music comes from her focus on excellence in everything she does," says Soul Call's engineer John Kiehl, co-founder of NYC's legendary Soundtrack Recording Studios, who has worked with Roberta Flack, LL Cool J, and Mariah Carey.

For the woman that runs her own financial advisory firm, a former partner of McKinsey, and a current Trustee of New York University, "This CD is about creating a circle of love and we are reaching out to each other; we are reaching each other's hearts and souls through the beautiful sounds that the universe has given us a chance to create." says Chandrika.

This circle of love is evident on the Soul Chants Music fan page on Facebook which started with a trickle six weeks ago and is now teeming with spontaneous testimonials from new fans worldwide…each with their own story of listening to the album or how they integrate this music into their life.

"I am hearing your voice for the first time and am totally lost. Grammy or no Grammy your voice is like soothing balm on the soul," wrote one fan. "I heard you sing last summer and was moved by the depth of your voice and what it evoked inside of me," commented another.

Chandrika has taken this mission of sharing one step further with her non-profit, deciding that all of the proceeds from her album be donated to benefit organizations in the fields of community building, arts, and spirituality.

Where now? What’s next? Chandrika says, “I live by a two-line quotation from a Sufi mystic: 'When "I" was there, the divine was missing; when "I" left, the divine took over.' My quest is to lose myself."

Soul Chants Music is a not for profit initiative. All proceeds of the sale of Soul Call are being donated to benefit organizations in the fields of community building, arts and spirituality.