Tabla Girl

Tina Sugandh is all set to hog air time, whether it’s radio or television. With a tour of India scheduled for 2006, she speaks to Mathures Paul about her new album
Pop, rock and a little bit of Bollywood. Considered by some the next Shakira, Tina Sugandh is busy giving mainstream America a little bit of Indian beats. With numbers like You without me, Patiently wait and Stay already in her kitty, Tina is here to stay. Growing up in New Jersey, she was always into music. Tina and her sister, Seema travelled with their parents on their tours. And at age five she sang a ghazal at a fair and stole the spotlight! It was then that her parents realised her talent and motivated Tina to take forward the family tradition.
"It's not really about matching Indian beats to fit the lyrics or experimenting until something works. I really just do what I know best. My forthcoming debut album is a genuine reflection of all the music that has always inspired me — from ghazals to bhangra to hip-hop to rock. I grew up playing tabla and singing traditional South Asian music in seven different languages on the weekends with my family, The Sugandh Family. They're on my debut album as well! My mother, father, sister and I have been performing since I was five, although I also grew up casually performing American music on my guitar for my friends at school. Therefore, whether it's tabla or vocals or guitar, combining Eastern and Western music is a very exciting and authentic experience for me."
During her school days, the Sugandh family performed across the US and the Caribbean, and soon earned a substantial following in the Indian community At one concert Tina request her father to hand over the dholak. She played before a spellbound audience, soon earning the name Tabla Girl. At the age of 15 she was discovered by Sean Harris, a screenwriter and creative mentor who would help shape her talent. Between her studies as a Biology major at Rutgers University and weekend performances, Tina would drive to Washington DC to work with Sean. The first song she penned, I spit fire, appears on her debut album.
But just how popular is the tabla in the West? "Not as popular as I want it to be! I know many people in the West are familiar with the sound of the tabla from various commercials and samples in hip-hop songs, but I don't think many people know its name or what it looks like, or how difficult it is to play. One of my many goals is to make the tabla as ‘mainstream’ as the congas. In fact, there is tabla on all of the tracks on my album and I am planning to call my debut album TablaGirl in honour of the nickname that was given to me as a child."
Soon she was introduced to Sean Sullivan, who had been working with Maxwell, John Mellencamp and Jessica Simpson and was starting a new management company. Sean was impressed and had her perform for Jay Jay French. Jay Jay was equally impressed and the duo signed her to their new company, Rebellion Entertainment. Working with producers Lester Mendez (Shakira, Enrique Iglesias and Jewel), Track & Field (Nelly Furtado), Ming & FS, Dr Luke and Danny P, Tina wrote or co-wrote all 12 tracks on her debut.
Though she is just starting off, it's said that Indian performers living in America come back to India to earn a name for themselves by telling tales of their experiences in a foreign land. "I hope it’s true! I cannot wait to go back to India for my promotional tour. I was born in Mumbai and to be able to tour in India would be incredible. I get quite a bit of fan mail from India and am just so grateful for everyone’s support," she says.Besides her album, Tina is working on various projects. "Right now though, the album takes precedence. I have written and sung several songs for Hollywood movie soundtracks such as Around the World in 80 Days, Christmas With the Kranks, Raise Your Voice and Ice Princess, and I look forward to doing more soundtracks for movies. I also am working on a future clothing line with the same theme as my album, performing at select venues, working on my acting career, and several other projects. All this without forgetting my family."
And as for critics labelling her the next Shakira, "Every time I hear that, it renders me speechless. All I can say is that I promise to work as hard as possible in order to live up to that expectation."