Striking the Right Chord

Express News Service

She is all of 21, however the wealthy, full and vibrant voice of Chandrika Darbari, or RIKA as she is best identified, is misleading of her standing as a beginner within the pop music scene.

British-Indian pop musician
Chandrika Darbari 

Swaying her fiery pink hair from left to proper and again, the younger British-Indian musician performs with a sort of confidence exuded solely by the most important of the celebs, writing and singing her rhythmic compositions.   

Pop icons Mariah Carey and Rihanna are RIKA’s idols, and she’s going to cease at nothing to emulate the creative journeys of her position fashions.  “They are such strong, powerful and insanely talented women, which is how I like to align myself,” she says.

RIKA is presently using excessive on success after bagging the Artist of the Year, ASIA award at 18th annual Urban Music Awards 2022—one other feather in her cap that’s already sagging underneath the weight of the accolades she has amassed in her quick profession.

She broke into the skilled music scene, when she took the world by storm on the age of 17 together with her single No Need that was themed round bullying and racism. It topped the charts in India and have become BBC Radio’s primary tune of the week. Since then, she has hardly ever left the highlight, fairly actually. 

In 2019, RIKA was the featured artist on the Brits’ ‘Sunday Spotlight’, and in addition received within the ‘Best UK Female Act’ class on the BritAsia TV Music Awards. 

She acquired the ‘Rising Star’ award on the ninth Asian Awards the identical yr. She can also be the primary teen Asian-British artiste to be signed by Virgin EMI Record Labels.

For her newest achievement on the Urban Music Awards, she impressively beat a number of established artists, a lot of whom have been having fun with overwhelming fandom for a number of years in India. The listing contains B Praak, Gurj Sidhu, Sidhu Moose Wala, Neha Kakkar, Jasmine Sandlas, Pak–Man, Ezu, PropheC and Karan Aujla.

But the younger artist is cautious to not let success go to her head. Not after receiving quite a few awards. Not even after she turned the primary artiste final yr to be signed by Warner Music India, which is trying to carry extra Indian sounds to the worldwide stage.

For RIKA, her followers’ appreciation and adulation is her primary award. She says, “The support for my music and the love I receive is the biggest award of all.”

RIKA started her journey as a musician on the age of 9, when she joined her college choir, and by no means regarded again. Born to a Serbian mom and an Indian father, her multicultural upbringing had a big impression on her artwork.

RIKA has usually taken up social points via her music. In 2016, she penned For Peace in Syria, the video which garnered over 9,00,000 views on YouTube in just some weeks. It additionally helped increase funds for UNICEF.

“They (children in Syria) didn’t deserve to be a part of the pain and being a teenager myself, I really connected with them,” she recollects.

Authenticity is of utmost significance to the younger musician who additionally doubles up as a songwriter, and for that Ed Sheeran has been an inspiration. “He puts his authenticity in his music and I do the same in mine, as I write or co-write all of my songs,” she says.

Bollywood music has additionally had a job to play in her musical success. Some of her favorite Indian artists embrace Jubin Nautiyal, Armaan Malik and Neha Kakkar.

RIKA’s final tune launch was in 2021—‘Love to You’—wherein she collaborated with Bollywood singer Ankit Tiwari. She is wanting ahead to a yr of upcoming singles and collaborations. All geared in ahead movement, RIKA appears able to toss out her beginner cap, and don the title of a star.