From conquering the corporate world to composing Grammy-winning albums steeped in Indian classical tradition and global harmony, Chandrika Tandon’s life is a testament to transformation. In this heartfelt conversation, she opens up about the tearful epiphany that led her from Wall Street to world stages, the healing power of Vedic music, and the joy of serving others through song.
“I cried the whole flight home and didn’t know why. That’s when I realized—I needed music to be happy.”
At the pinnacle of her business career—managing multi-million dollar deals and flying between continents—Chandrika Tandon had a moment that changed everything. “It was mid-flight, during one of the biggest deals of my life. Suddenly, I just broke down crying. I didn’t know why, but I couldn’t stop. When I returned home, I secluded myself and cried even more.”
The realization that followed would alter her path forever: “I needed music to play a central role in my life again to be truly happy.”
“Music has always been part of who I am,” says Chandrika. “As a child, I would sing with the hum of the AC or the rustling of trees. It was instinctual.” But as success in business mounted, music took a backseat—until her soul demanded its return. The moment she recommitted to her calling, she began a journey that would lead her to the global music stage.
Music, for Chandrika, is now intertwined with meditation and deep service. “Singing used to make me happy. Now, it fulfills me.
Meditation helped me find peace. And that peace pushed me into service—to give back through education and healing.”
She’s known to work with prestigious institutions worldwide, but it’s the intentionality that makes her mission powerful: “Music, meditation, and service—they are inextricably linked in my life.”
Chandrika’s albums blend ancient Vedic chants with choral harmonies, jazz elements, and global instrumentation. Her creative process is organic, intuitive, and open to evolution. “Inspiration doesn’t come on demand. I might begin a song one way, but it always morphs. The song always knows more than I do.”
To anyone stuck between a “safe” career and a burning passion, Chandrika offers this: “The universe will create a path if your desire is pure. Don’t worry about job titles or long-term plans. Do what makes you feel alive.”
To anyone stuck between a “safe” career and a burning passion, Chandrika offers this: “The universe will create a path if your desire is pure. Don’t worry about job titles or long-term plans. Do what makes you feel alive.” She knows this firsthand—having once spent her first paycheck in the U.S. on a Martin guitar and speakers, surviving for weeks on rice and coriander chutney. “I might not have had much, but I had music. And that was enough.”
Her collaborations span continents—from gospel choirs to South Indian percussionists. “It’s not always easy—musicians are passionate and have opinions. But when we harmonize, something transcendent emerges.”
Chandrika’s life today flows through music, philanthropy, and education. Her upcoming album, Soul Ecstasy, is a continuation of her commitment to healing. “I’ve had people write to me—telling me their sister could only be soothed by my music during chemotherapy. Others say it helped them through addiction or trauma.”
These moments reaffirm her belief in music as medicine: “If my songs can ease one person’s suffering, then it’s all worth it.”
“I let each song tell me what it wants to be.”
“People often ask how I balance it all,” Chandrika reflects. “To me, ambition, creativity, and inner peace are not opposites. They’re three parts of the same equation. Creation requires stillness. Stillness gives you clarity. And clarity breeds confidence.”
If she could whisper something to her younger self? “Don’t doubt yourself. Don’t let the world define you. You are enough—as you are, right now.”
And if her life were a song? “I’d call it my mantra: Love. Light. Laughter. That’s the rhythm I live by.”
“I let each song tell me what it wants to be.”
From world stages to quiet rooms, Chandrika Tandon is not chasing applause—she’s channeling something far deeper. And through every note, every breath, every silence, she continues to echo a message the world sorely needs: Love. Light. Laughter.
