Grammy-Winning Artist Falu Unveils New Album Featuring Ancient Vedic and Sanskrit Chants

NEW YORK, Aug 22: Grammy Award-winning Indian-American vocalist and composer Falu has released a new album drawing on ancient Indian Vedic and Sanskrit traditions, creating a musical offering centred on peace, reflection and spiritual connection.

Titled ‘Offering: Ancient and Timeless Chants’, the album was released on Friday and features Falu alongside her husband, Gaurav Shah, and their 15-year-old son, Nishaad Shah.

The family describes the project as a personal collection inspired by South Asian musical and spiritual traditions that have been passed down through generations. It combines traditional chants, bhajans, prayers and devotional compositions with a contemporary approach aimed at listeners around the world.

The album includes several well-known spiritual works, including ‘Asato Ma Sadgamaya’, ‘Ganesh Shloka’, ‘Vakratunda Mahakaya’, ‘Madhurashtakam’, the ‘Gayatri Mantra’, ‘Om Jai Jagdish Hare’, ‘Om Sahana Vavatu’, ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram’ and ‘Saraswati Vandana and Kundendu Tusharahara Dhavala’, among others.

The Shah family said they wanted to create music that listeners could turn to during moments when they seek calm, hope or a sense of connection.

The recordings present centuries-old spiritual compositions through a modern lens associated with meditation, mindfulness and everyday well-being, while retaining their traditional character.

The production involved Grammy Award-winning producers and engineers, along with a group of professional musicians. The creators said the project reflects the enduring role of chanting within Indian musical and spiritual practices.

For Falu, the album also represents another chapter in a career shaped by Indian classical music and international collaborations. Born and raised in Mumbai, she trained in the Jaipur Gharana tradition and has worked with renowned musicians including Yo-Yo Ma and A R Rahman. She has also performed at prominent venues such as Carnegie Hall and the White House.

Gaurav Shah brings his own experience in Hindustani classical and spiritual music to the project. His musical training includes studying the bansuri with Pandit Ronu Majumdar and becoming an initiated disciple of Ustad Sultan Khan. He has performed across musical genres at venues and festivals including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Lollapalooza and Wolf Trap.

Their son, Nishaad, is continuing his musical education alongside his parents, adding a new generation to the family’s long-standing connection with Indian music.

The family’s collaboration follows their earlier work together on music celebrating India’s agricultural heritage. In 2023, Falu and Gaurav Shah released ‘Abundance in Millets’, featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to mark the International Year of Millets and highlight the importance of ‘Shree Anna’.

With ‘Offering: Ancient and Timeless Chants’, the family has once again brought elements of India’s cultural heritage into an international musical setting, presenting traditional devotional works for audiences seeking moments of listening, contemplation and inner calm.