Singer, songwriter and rapper Raja Kumari released “Made in India” today, a song inspired by Indian pop singer Alisa Channai’s 1995 single. Upbeat yet melancholic, “Made In India” expresses the tension Raja Kumari has experienced as an American-born artist living in India. Directed by Kumari and Kirti Narain, the visual features a cameo by Hindi actress Madhuri Dixit, styled entirely in Indian labels and designers.
Reflecting on the single, Kumari stated in a press release, “As an Indian-American I felt there is always a distinction made between Indians born abroad and in the motherland. As an artist that has spent the last five years building my career in India, I always resented when someone would tell me I wasn’t Indian. Thousands of generations before me were born in this land and because my father left in the ’70s to pursue the American ream how can I be now ostracized and separated from my source?”
The single follows new that Kumari has left Nasir Jones Mass Appeal India record label, which she signed on with two years ago. Subsequently, Kumari launched her own label, Godmother Records.
We had an email exchange with Raja Kumari (real name Svetha Rao) about the single and launching her own label.
Snobette: What prompted you to create Godmother records after being signed to Nas’Mass Appeal India Records?
Raja Kumari: “I was signed during the pandemic in March 2020 which was not ideal and in many ways, the label did not understand me, did not understand how to market me. I was once told that they did not want me to look too Indian. I also realized that If I have a cosign from Nas, one of the top rappers dead or alive, and that cosign could not amplify my work, nobody could do for me what I can do for myself.
“I created Godmother Records to finally be sovereign in my art. Keeping god first and being a mother to the babies, I’m looking to curate and support female talent from India and around the world. It’s a huge day, just like that I became CEO and certified director.”
Check out the visual for “Made In India” below.
