Grammy-nominated Chandrika Tandon’s ‘Ammu’s Treasures’ offers a hug for the world

Chandrika’s thought behind ‘Ammu’s Treasurers’ is that exposing even very young children to an extensive palette of music will leave a long-lasting impact – just like hearing Mozart in the womb.

Ammu’s Treasures, an omnibus of classical songs and soothing chants by Chandrika Tandon and iconic musical friends, was released on September 7 in New York.

The album has 35 songs and 21 chants, defying traditional norms and offering what Grammy-nominated Chandrika calls ‘a hug for the world!’

‘Ammu’ is a delicious term of endearment used in many parts of India, meaning happiness, sweetness, and purity. Ammu is what Chandrika’s grandchildren call her. Ammu’s Treasures, which began as a simple gift from a grandmother to her grandchildren, has become an expression of intergenerational love and wisdom for children and adults everywhere.

The songs and chants of Chandrika’s childhood served as inspiration for this album. She sings them often to her young grandchildren, who always clamor for more. Ammu’s Treasures is “a curation of my memories,” says Chandrika, “and this music will connect with the memories of everyone who listens. It becomes a real bonding experience for families.”

The album has been released by Soul Chants Music, and distributed by Platoon.  It is available from Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, YouTube, and at www.chandrikatandon.com. All proceeds, According to an official press release, all proceeds from the album will go to the Krishnamurthy Tandon Foundation to support emotional and economic well-being.

Guest artists include Béla Fleck, Kenny Werner, Eugene Friesen, Jamey Haddad, Romero Lubambo, Cyro Baptista, Michael Ward-Bergeman, Howard Levy, Maeve Gilchrist, Rakesh Chaurasia, Martin Bejerano, Purbayan Chatterjee, and the Czech National Symphony Orchestra.

The music in Ammu’s Treasures ranges from traditional folk tunes like “Molly Malone” to French chansons, to popular songs of the ‘50s and ‘60s like “(How Much) Is That Doggy in the Window?” and “Que Sera, Sera.” “These songs speak of faraway places, in different genres and languages, with varied arrangements, and are meant for quiet times, happy times, or any time, for any age,” explains Chandrika. Additionally, “To the Light” is a 26-minute meditative journey, comprising 21 ancient Vedic chants set to Indian scales, aimed to soothe and relax.

“I chose to release all this music as one giant treasury for people of all ages, all over the world,” says Chandrika. “Why? Because I believe that exposing even very young children to an extensive palette of music will leave a long-lasting impact – just like hearing Mozart in the womb. More is indeed More!”

Chandrika’s mission to foster emotional well-being is focused on emanating love, joy, and transcendence through her music and artistry. At the height of her business career, she reevaluated her life and definitions of success – and reformulated her business life to intentionally include music, service, and meditation. Chandrika has previously released four albums under her nonprofit record label Soul Chants Music, including the Grammy-nominated Soul Call. In this music, which has attracted a wide cult following, she draws on ancient Vedic chants that have sound healing impact and melds it with Indian classical music. Her Shivoham – The Quest album, which premiered at a sold-out concert at the Kennedy Center, is an oratorio describing her own path to finding the light.

Her economic well-being efforts are focused on higher education – in particular STEM – where she brings to bear her considerable business experience as one of the earliest partners of McKinsey & Company and Founder and Chair of her own advisory firm. Chandrika chairs the Board of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, named after her family’s generous gift.

Photos: chandrikatandon.com

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