A celebration of love

Subhi is a singer-songwriter who combines the worlds of Hindi folk and American pop to create a captivating sound that is poetic and contemporary. Born in Delhi, Subhi is an Indo-American singer-songwriter. Her new song 'Mehfil' celebrates true love that is unconditional. Love that transcends gender norms, religious boundaries and caste constraints. She combines the worlds of Hindi folk and American pop to create a captivating sound that is poetic and contemporary.

Her songs have appeared on SXSW's official playlists on Spotify, NPR and several radio stations across the States. She has performed at SXSW Music Festival (2018 & 2019), The Kennedy Center (2018), spoken and performed at TEDx Naperville (2017), Talks At Google (2018) and Facebook (2019).

ABC Chicago showcased Subhi's musical journey on their Emmy award-winning show Asian Influences and she is a proud recipient of the 2019 Individual Artist Program cultural grant awarded by the City of Chicago. Subhi recently received a nomination for 'Best Asian Entertainer 2019' by the Chicago Music Awards.

Her debut album 'Shaitaan Dil' (Naughty Heart) co-presented by The Jazz Institute of Chicago, released in August 2018 and received much appreciation for its authentic sound and storytelling. She has worked with leading digital platforms Y-Films(Yash Raj Films) and TVF (The Viral Fever) in India. Her song 'Lovely' was recently featured in the short film 'Sunny Side Upar' produced by the prominent producer & director Anurag Kashyap. The film is now a part of an Anthology of short films that Sikhya Entertainment has curated and released on Flipkart Video platform.

Mumbai further honed Subhi's skills as an engaging performing artist. Subhi's earlier Hindi single 'Chaand Ka Chilka (Peel of the Moon)' was selected as the finalist in the world music category of the renowned International Songwriting Competition 2019.

Excerpts from an interview:

How much has life changed since the lockdown?

We are all living in an unprecedented time as COVID-19 continues to evolve and impact not only the regular course of professional lives but also our personal lives. It's a very strange time for the world because we all are going through something no one imagined would happen. On the personal front, I am a very social person. Staying at home and not being able to meet friends or family has been hard. Professionally, the lockdown has really affected the way I work. I loved being in recording studios, working with musicians and producers. I derived a lot of energy from these collaborations. All that has stopped. But I also feel lucky and fortunate that I am safe, healthy and comfortable.

It has been one full month since lockdown (in Chicago). I never thought I would make it this far. There are a lot of lessons learnt. Professionally, I have learnt that I can do so much more by myself; independently. I have created a vocal booth in my apartment and am recording and working remotely on upcoming projects. If there is a will and a vision, there is always a way. On the personal front, I have learnt that you can always find time to eat healthy. We are cooking every meal at home and it doesn't take that long if you plan everything well and commit to it.

Tell us about your new single 'Mehfil'.

'Mehfil' is a love song that emphasizes the right to choose who you want to love. Everyone should be free to love who they want to irrespective of their gender, religion, caste or creed. In a world where there is so much hate, I want to create music which feels good and positive. The music video and song has a simple message 'Love who you want to love because love is love'.

I moved to the States when I was in High School. As I was growing up here, I understood that Love is Love. Love cannot be restricted by borders or gender or religion. Everyone should be free to love who they want to and we should respect that.

How was the process of writing lyrics for this song?

When I write a song, the melody and lyrics always come hand in hand. If I get a good melody but don't have a song idea or lyrics that work with it, then I let that song be and start a fresh one. With 'Mehfil' the lyrics and melody flowed together. The lyrics came easily as I have been blessed with a wonderful companion and soul mate. When you are in love, writing about it becomes easier.

Tell us about your creative process.

I don't have a fixed creative process. Sometimes a melody and song idea comes to me while traveling, while getting ready or while doing house chores. Sometimes I sit by my piano and play random chords and melodies till an idea clicks. It really all depends on my mood and state of mind. Once I get a basic idea and melody, I start working on the lyrics and song structure. Once the basic structure is established, I spend a lot of time fine-tuning the melody and polishing the lyrics. Some songs take days or weeks to create while some get created in a single day. I have also started working with producers and that process is quite different. I am enjoying this new challenge.

What do you enjoy most about being a singer?

I enjoy being able to sing my own songs. It's really an amazing feeling. Each song I write is very personal to me so being able to perform it myself feels great. What I hate the most about being a singer is that you are expected to sing covers.

What are your future projects?

I am working on two new Hindi songs and hope to release them in the coming weeks. Both are currently in post-production. I am also using this time to figure out my debut English EP. Singles from my EP should start releasing by July of this year.