Shilpa Rao: The Grammy was never on my list, but when I was nominated I was extremely happy

Bollywood singer Shilpa Rao’s collaboration with composer-sitarist Anoushka Shankar last year, on the album 'Love Letters', got her the ‘Best Global Music Album’ nomination for the Grammy Awards 2021.
While many Indian musicians have been nominated earlier and won too, over the years, Shilpa is the 'only Bollywood singer' to have bagged a Grammy nomination.
The singer, who has given us chartbusters Ghungroo (War), Meherbaan (Bang Bang!), Khuda Jaane (Bachna Ae Haseeno), Ishq Shava (Jab Tak Hai Jaan), Subhanallah (Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani), Aaj Jane Ki Zid Na Karo (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil), Manmarziyan (Lootera) and many more, recently received the Grammy certificate.
She tells us, “Well, for somebody who has never felt from childhood that I would achieve anything, this was huge. Of course, the Grammy was never on my list, but when I was nominated, I was extremely happy and excited.”
For Shilpa, hard work and persistence have always been priority. She is someone who believes that good music is eveything. "Doing good music is rebellion by itself. I think more than talent and hard work, persistence is the key because beyond talent and being talented, one really has to work hard and not quit even when there are times it doesn't happen. There are times when things are not going your way and to be able to go back to work and to learn and to practice that is most important."
Despite over a decade of experience in music, Shilpa still does her riyaaz daily, and urges youngsters who aspire to be musicians, to do the same. "I have been practising every single day and still learning music each day. I think these things really matter and this is why I tell the youth to learn music, to keep chasing music excellence and that is what will get them to glory.”
She says that she never has looked at her songs as film or non-film. “I look at each project as an individual self and every recording and song is important to me because I am very emotionally invested in my songs. I am very happy that the Grammy happened but every song I work on is very close to me and a very personal thing for me.”
Has the perception of people in the Hindi film music industry changed in any way because she got an international recognition we ask, and she says, “Well, I have to say that everybody here was quite excited and happy. They were congratulating me from everywhere. Be it Sunidhi, Shaan, Vishal, Shekhar, Shankar (Mahadevan) Sir, Pritam and everyone. This means a lot to me, because I have worked with these people and they are my friends and are a part of my life. We congratulate each other whenever we do things, and that means so much to us and it goes both ways. When I like a song by another musician, I pick up the phone and congratulate that person. Whenever you progress and someone else is also happy for you, that is a very beautiful way of working.”
Shilpa is extremely passionate when it comes to music and she has always maintained that music is life for her. “I think very few people are lucky to say, 'I am doing something that I love' and I don't feel that I have gone a day of my life without working because I love what I do. I will keep working hard for everything I do, be it a collaboration with another artiste, a film, a score, a classical, or anything,” she signs off.