“In February 2010, I was invited to perform at the Urs of Sufi Inayat Khan’s dargah in Delhi. It proved to be a turning point in my musical journey,” says singer Sonam Kalra. “A Sikh girl singing Gospel music being welcomed into an Islamic space. That moment made me feel like the universe was trying to tell me something.” It was then that Sonam considered The Sufi Gospel Project. “I wondered why can’t I blend an Irish chant with a Buddhist chant or ‘Hallelujah’ with ‘Alla Hoo’ or ‘Abide With Me’ with Bulleh Shah’s verses. I also know the Gayatri Mantra by heart. So why not reflect this unity through music?”
Today, Sonam’s perception has discovered world affirmation. At the 2025 Global Music Awards held final month, she received three silver medals — two for her rendition of ‘Hum Dekhenge – Where the Mind is Without Fear’ in the classes of Protest Music and Female Vocalist, and a 3rd for her shifting piece ‘Hallelujah – Allah Hoo’.
Sonam Kalra’s The Sufi Gospel Project celebrates inclusivity and variety
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Special Arrangament
In each, Sonam’s music blends poetry, cultures, and faith. Her interpretation of ‘Hum Dekhenge’ combines Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s revolutionary verses with Rabindranath Tagore’s name for freedom.
Speaking over the telephone, Sonam says, “This recognition means a lot to me as it is peer-reviewed — by musicians and experts worldwide.”
She provides that turning into a voting member of the Grammy Recording Academy felt equally important. “It is an honour because the global music community sees value in the kind of music I am trying to create.”
Validation of her perception
Sonam additionally sees the Global Music Award as a recognition of her The Sufi Gospel Project. “It is a huge validation,” she says. Recalling a latest message from Matt Koch, a Los Angeles-based symphonic composer, inviting her to contribute to a world music curriculum, she says, “To be recognised for music that goes deeper is a different validation. It tells me I may not be on the mainstream path, but I’m on my path, and that’s what matters.”
Sonam was initiated into classical music at the age of 4 by her sitarist-mother
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Special Arrangement
Sonam acknowledges that launching The Sufi Gospel Project was a major danger, particularly in a polarised local weather however says her conviction in its message outweighed any concern. Drawing from her personal experiences of rising up throughout the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Sonam held on to the values of equality and co-existence instilled by her mother and father. Despite questions on why a Sikh lady would sing Gospel music or mix it with Sufism, she stood agency in her perception that “faith is personal” and that “art must reflect the truth, otherwise it is just mimicry.”
Rooted in classical
Sonam’s musical journey started in childhood, impressed by her mom’s deep love for music. “She used to play the sitar and encouraged me and my siblings to pursue music. I began learning formally at age four,” says Sonam. While her sisters moved on, Sonam stayed immersed, later coaching below the Dagar Brothers, Shubha Mudgal, and Pt. Sarathi Chatterjee.
Though she pursued graphic design in artwork college and labored in promoting, music remained her calling. “I quit my job to sing professionally, and almost immediately lost my voice for a year. I felt like Saraswati was testing me,” she laughs. During this emotional interval, particularly as she cared for her ailing mom, Sonam discovered refuge in theatre: “Theatre helped me express myself when I couldn’t sing. It opened a different part of my soul.”
One of her best theatre influences was Amal Allana, daughter of theatre legend Ebrahim Alkazi. “Working with Amal was great. After 14 years of music, she brought me back for a staged reading of her book on Alkazi sir.”
Sonam has additionally launched well-loved songs akin to ‘Man Manam’ (a Coke Studio manufacturing), ‘Amazing Grace’ (2014), ‘Bol’ (2015), ‘Alfat’ (2019), ‘Hum Dekhenge… Where the Mind is Without Fear’ (2020), ‘Om Namo Bhagwate Vasudevaya’ (2021), ‘Gayatri Mantra’ (2022), ‘Chal Bulleya’ (2022) and extra. Each of these songs explores feelings like self-reflection and reverence for the divine.
Sonam resists being boxed into any style, selecting as a substitute to let her music movement freely past boundaries.
Published – May 08, 2025 01:05 pm IST
