Chandrika Krishamoorthy Tandon: The McKinsey Partner Who Won a Grammy
“Follow your inner calling, and everything else will fall into place.”
Chandrika Krishamoorthy Tandon is an Indian American entrepreneur and vocalist who won a Grammy for her album Triveni in the best new age ambient or Chant album category. She beat other nominees including Ricky Kej and Anushka Shankar. Her win was a proud moment for Indian classical music.
The name Triveni holds deep meaning—it refers to the confluence of three sacred Indian rivers: Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati. Similarly, her album brought together three artists from different backgrounds—a South African flautist, a Japanese cellist, and an Indian singer. The music blended ancient Vedic chants with modern instruments, creating a soothing and magical experience.
Chandrika was the eldest of three siblings in a traditional Tamil family in Chennai, where professional careers were often reserved for men. But her grandfather encouraged her to read, opening up a world of possibilities. Her parents expected their children to excel in whatever they pursued. She was determined to attend the same college as her father and grandfather, even going on a hunger strike until her mother agreed! She enrolled at Madras Christian College for a B.Com degree.
After graduation, a distant uncle challenged her, saying she wouldn’t be able to crack the tough IIM entrance exam. She took this as motivation, cleared the exam, and secured an interview. During her IIM Ahmedabad interview, a professor, intrigued by her bio mentioning that she sang French songs at concerts, asked her to perform. She sang flawlessly in a perfect French accent, impressing the panel. That year, she was one of only eight women in her batch. The transition from Chennai to IIM was challenging, and she initially struggled academically. However, she found solace in music, and her IIM yearbook fondly remembers her as someone who “killed us all softly with her song.”
Rising Through the Corporate World
Her first job as a Citibank executive took her to war-torn Beirut in 1975, followed by a move to the United States at 24. In the multicultural landscape of 1978 New York, she faced 16 rounds of interviews at McKinsey, eventually securing a position. At a time when America was far less diverse, she broke racial and gender stereotypes, handling prejudiced remarks with grace.
She broke a wide range of racist stereotypes. She said that she took these remarks in her stride. Within a few years, Chandrika went on to become a partner at McKinsey. She became the first Indian American to achieve this feat. She had a pristine reputation and was known as a woman who seized opportunities and used her international background much to her advantage. According to her, women always have to be riskers in order to succeed in whatever they choose to do.
Chandrika’s desire to make an impact on others’ lives started her philanthropic journey. She tried to make other people’s lives better. “I have enough, and I want to do something meaningful” is what she said. Now she wanted to impact institutions. In the 1990’s she set up a financial advisory firm to invest in financial institutions “Tandon Capital Associates”. Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon donated 100 million to the New York University School of Engineering.
All this success came at a cost borne by the family and her child. The chance reading of the book “The Life of a Yogi” had a deep impact on her psyche. In 1999 on the cusp of signing a megadeal, she faced some serious dilemmas. She started questioning her life and decided to do what gave her joy and at that moment what mattered to her was to do something to satisfy her soul. She instinctively turned to music.
She began to take frequent trips to India to take music lessons and turn towards spirituality. She wanted to spend conscious time with music. In between her client meetings, she would go to India to learn music from masters. She ended up singing 12 hours a day. For her father-in-law’s 90th birthday, she decided to gift him an album of her composition of his favorite chants. It was meant to be a homegrown album with no major ambitions. This is how her album-making career started.
From Corporate Leader to Grammy-Nominated Musician
Encouraged by her teachers, Chandrika released her first professional album, Soul Call, in 2011. The album, a fusion of soulful and modern sounds, resonated globally, earning her a Grammy nomination. Music gave her deep confidence, helping her reconnect with her inner self. Her meditation album developed a cult following, further cementing her influence in spiritual and healing music. Chandrika’s musical journey has been full of dedication. It shows us the power of passion. She balanced a successful career in banking and music. Her music resonates with people from all backgrounds.
According to her, music holds the power to touch our souls and shape our experience. It transcends language and culture in evoking emotions and connects us at the deepest level. Music accompanies us to our lives’ highs and lows creating an unforgettable soundtrack of our memories.
She worked her whole life for perfection and music gave her a new perspective. From striving towards perfection to embracing the idea of “I am perfect at this moment” Chandrika’s journey is truly inspirational for all of us trying to strike a balance between our materialistic and spiritual persona.
Winning a Grammy is a reflection of her talent and recognition of her efforts of creating a beautiful musical world.
Her story proves that it’s never too late to follow your dreams and Chandrika’s dedication and hard work serve as an inspiration for every artist across the globe.
Signing off in her signature style.
Love, Light and Laughter.
–Nidhi Raj is an independent writing professional, storyteller, and mother with a keen interest in women’s issues and International Relations.
