Berklee Indian Ensemble's expansive, star-studded debut album is a Grammy contender

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

And finally today, when Annette Philip arrived at Berklee College of Music in Boston 10 years ago, she realized the rich sound she played in India were all but missing. She changed that by starting a massive collaboration with other artists that's taken on a life of its own.

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MARTIN: Now, the Berklee Indian Ensemble's first album is up for a Grammy. Andrea Shea of member station WBUR has more on the journey behind this debut.

ANDREA SHEA, BYLINE: Annette Philip remembers how surprised she was that even at a prestigious international school like Berklee, she couldn't find her homeland's music.

ANNETTE PHILIP: There were these little pockets where Indian music was being explored, but more from a theoretical side or just rhythms.

SHEA: After graduating, Philip became the school's first Indian musician on faculty. And she was given a blank canvas to create something new.

PHILIP: It was a no-brainer for me. I said, well, we need to have a performing collective that, you know, is really exploring Indian music and folk music and Sufi traditions and Indo jazz music and Bollywood and contemporary and maybe originals in the future. You know, why not?

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SHEA: Since 2010, about 500 students from 52 countries have composed, re-arranged, performed and recorded an array of Indian music. Philip also invited luminaries to collaborate, including famed film composer A. R. Rahman.

(SOUNDBITE OF BERKLEE INDIAN ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE OF "JIYA JALE")

BERKLEE INDIAN ENSEMBLE: (Singing in non-English language).

PHILIP: One of the songs we chose was a classic hit of Mr. Rahman's called "Jiya Jale." It's from the movie "Dil Se.."

(SOUNDBITE OF BERKLEE INDIAN ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE OF "JIYA JALE")

BERKLEE INDIAN ENSEMBLE: (Singing in non-English language).

PHILIP: Things took off for the ensemble after Berklee posted a video of this recording session on YouTube.

PHILIP: It just suddenly overnight went viral. And I think within a week, it had hit its first million.

SHEA: Now, Philip says 46% of Berklee's YouTube subscribers live in India. This proof of audience fueled momentum for touring and an album. Over the years, the evolving army of students and alumni has recorded collaborations with other Indian stars like Grammy-winning tabla master Zakir Hussain. The ensemble created a new version of his group's song "Lady L," and performed it with him.

PHILIP: When he came in, our ensemble members from Israel, Iran, Brazil, India, Poland, Australia and Norway, they came up with this fantastic new arrangement.

(SOUNDBITE OF BERKLEE INDIAN ENSEMBLE'S "LADY L (LIVE)"

SHEA: Then there's the Tamil film song "Sundari Pennae," where Philip says the ensemble took a grunge-inspired approach.

PHILIP: It has a fusion of progressive rock, konnakol, jazz re-harmonizations and, of course, semi-classical Indian music.

(SOUNDBITE OF BERKLEE INDIAN ENSEMBLE'S "SUNDARI PENNAE")

SHEA: Vocalist Rohith Jayaraman performed this konnakol, which is a traditional Indian recitation style, with an experimental twist.

ROHITH JAYARAMAN: We put it through a megaphone, and it just sounds really crunchy. And this is not a great expensive megaphone that we have either, so it's already like extra crackly on its own, which gives it more character.

SHEA: Jayaraman says the students were starstruck to collaborate on this song with Bollywood celebrity vocalist Shreya Ghoshal during her residency.

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SHREYA GHOSHAL: (Singing in non-English language).

JAYARAMAN: The whole diaspora, Indian diaspora really, like, watched and heard her grow up with us. And she walked in, and there was obviously all of us had that little moment of like, she's in a room with us. There's one student who's a huge fan of hers, and she was really like, I mean, I think it took all her willpower to sort of keep it together.

(SOUNDBITE OF BERKLEE INDIAN ENSEMBLE'S "SUNDARI PENNAE")

SHEA: Jayaraman's parents came to the U.S. in the late '80s, and he says he grew up in a very Indian household in California. He remembers how as a freshman at Berklee, he really missed home. One day, Jayaraman walked by a classroom, heard familiar rhythms and sat down on the floor outside the door...

JAYARAMAN: I hadn't heard Indian music since I got to Berklee, and I just remember I was just sitting there, I was just crying.

SHEA: ...When Annette Philip discovered Jayaraman.

JAYARAMAN: She said, well, if you're free on Tuesdays, why don't you come by between 4 and 6? I went by and then basically haven't missed a rehearsal since.

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SHEA: Now, Jayaraman works as a director with the ensemble. He's honored their first album, "Shuruaat," which is Hindi for beginning, is finally out in the world and up for a Grammy.

JAYARAMAN: Yeah, it's kind of unreal. Time to get our outfits in order (laughter).

SHEA: Annette Philip is also excited about the nomination, but she says she's especially proud that during production, the group designed an equitable revenue system for all the performers.

PHILIP: We signed 98 contracts, and I think it's just important that this becomes the norm in the industry.

SHEA: Philip hopes this inclusive collaboration proves people from all over the world can work together. As Jayaraman likes to say...

JAYARAMAN: It's like global music with an Indian accent.

SHEA: This not-so-little group from Boston that started in a classroom will find out if its debut wins the Grammy for Best Global Music Album tomorrow. For NPR News, I'm Andrea Shea.

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