Raja Kumari, who becomes the first Indian-origin singer to win at American Music, says it’s her job to change people’s perception about India

As Renegade (We Never Run), which is part of the Arcane League of Legends Season 2 soundtrack, won Favourite Soundtrack: Dance/Electronic Award at American Music Awards, rapper-singer-songwriter Raja Kumari lit a deepak in her puja room, her head bowed in gratitude. She happens to be the first Indian origin artiste to have this distinction, and needless to say she is on cloud nine!“Representing India on a world stage was a great honour. I feel it’s my job to change people’s perception of India and Indians,” says Raja, who earlier grabbed the spotlight when she performed at Coachella with Ali Sethi and opened the Wireless Festival.Born in America as Svetha Yallapragada Rao, Raja has kept herself close to her Indian roots. In a free-wheeling interview, she talks about her religious and spiritual side and her culturally enriched life.But before that, the song in focus—Renegade. “There’s a passage in the Bhagavad Gita that says ‘don’t be attached to the fruits of your labour, just do your job’. You don’t start something thinking ‘I am going to win an American Music Award’. You just say, ‘Let me do my job and make the coolest thing possible’. Writing the song was no expectation. I just did my job,” she avers.For this project, Raja was asked to do a powerful song, aggressive yet one that captured the essence of India. She took on the challenge, blended genres, and came up with a song that bore her signature style. When Arcane streamed on Netflix, it became one among the Top 10 shows globally. And, the song went viral.For the City Slums hit-maker, music came late in life. Before she took up singing, she was a classical dancer. Coming from a family of doctors, she was all set to pursue PhD in religious studies, when a defer year dedicated to music changed it all. She was all set to take to the global stage when the pandemic hit. “Many of my ambitious projects got shelved. I was in my saadsati. The dark phase. That’s why this American Music Award feels like a divine reward for everything I went through,” she says.During that ‘dark phase’, what kept her buoyed was a Bollywood offer that came in form of the title song of Jawan. “I had established myself as a musician by the time Bollywood happened to me. Luckily, I was able to control the narrative from there. Bollywood can be a crazy space where nothing is guaranteed. But I feel I can’t be replaced in the space that I have created for myself.”With numbers like Allah Duhai Hai, The Wakhra Song, Jawan title track and Baby John-Beast Mode to her credit now, her claim has merit. In fact, Atlee calls her his lucky charm!Raja has collaborated with notable artistes, including Gwen Stefani, Iggy Azalea, Fifth Harmony and Sidhu Moosewala. She remembers Moosewala like an elder brother and a gentle giant.She is proud of her latest album, Kashi to Kailash. It has one devotional song in English and the rest are in Sanskrit. “I have different phases in life, and I live through them. Kashi to Kailash is a reflection of my true self,” she says.Surreal experienceMeeting AR Rahman was a goal that Raja Kumari had set for herself. One fine day, she asked a white man associated with the art scene if he knew Rahman. He responded, “Actually, I do know someone who works with him — Storyteller fame Raghav”. On the same day she not only met Raghav but also Rahman in his Los Angeles home. “I took my shoes off outside the house. I knew once I walked through the door, my life would change. And it did! Now, when we are recording and he says something like ‘Raja is the best songwriter around’, I pinch myself!”Kumari ‘Kaur’I have an alter ego named Kumari Kaur. Honey Singh had once said, “My new favourite rapper is Raja Kumari. But she doesn’t sing in Hindi or Punjabi, so there’s no way for her to connect with the people who love her.” It resonated with me deeply. Next, you’re going to hear me in regional languages. I am ready for Kumari Kaur to figure out who she is. Also, Punjabi boys are so cute —maybe that will help me find a tall Punjabi munda…”"Many musicians and artistes create a persona. Raja Kumari was created in America as a warrior goddess rooted in her culture. That’s who I have built!"

Raja Kumari, who becomes the first Indian-origin singer to win at American Music, says it’s her job to change people’s perception about India

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