Women of Indian Rock: Anushka Manchanda
Celebrating female artists from across the country who have been rocking the blues, jazz, soul and electronica
Anushka Manchanda Photo: Ashish Shah. Clothes: Tommy Hilfiger from SS2015 collection. Styling: Roli Gupta. Hair & Makeup: Jean-Claude Biguine
Mumbai-based vocalist Anushka Manchanda, Jayashree Singh, who founded and leads Kolkata experimental band PINKNOISE, singer and songwriter of Mumbai electro rock band Monica Dogra, vocalist Saba Azad of Mumbai funk/nu-disco band, Samara Chopra who leads New Delhi ska band The Ska Vengers and also has goes by the solo artist name, Begum X, Sanaya Ardeshir who launched her solo electronica project Sandunes, jazz vocalist Sonia Saigal, Suman Sridhar of the genre defying Sridhar/Thayil band, who has been performing as a solo artist recently, Suyasha Sengupta who fronts Kolkata pop rock band The Ganesh Talkies, Tanvi Rao who is part of the two-member trip hop electronica group Sulk Station, Tipriti Kharbangar of Shillong blues band Soulmate, Vasuda Sharma who composes and sings in Hindi and English, jazz vocalist Vasundhara Vidalur and jazz/pop/rock vocalist Vivienne Pocha have all made it to our cover story this month. We asked them for their stories and each piece here is an honest woman-to-woman take on each other.
Anushka Manchanda
I remember when I was new to Bombay and I was wide open to inspiration, but at the same time completely alone in a new place with no idea where to go or who to be with. Anushka was a light on the dance floor, her style was inspiring, her voice emotive and incredibly moving, and she had a bravery about her that I was drawn to instantly. She became a soul sister quite quickly. We had many up-until-8-am-nights laughing, dancing, breaking rules, singing loud, loving each other’s vibes and being vocal about that mutual admiration. I’ve seen Anushka on stage and felt such enormous camaraderie and pride that such an artist is my friend and a true blue, born and bred Indian. She is long-limbed and moves languidly like a hypnotic snake on stage, one with the lights and bass. She is what happens when rock and roll and Bollywood have a baby. The girl can sing and how! Her mother is a shaman, and her dad is Jimi Hendrix’s long lost Indian brother. And it shows. She is just on the fringe, enough to be blazing a new path, but accessible enough for that path to be a highway. I adore her in every which way ”“ as an artist, as a human, and as a kindred spirit.
