Torn between cultures, a British Bengali singer has chosen an unusual path for someone of her ethnicity.
Sujata Roy, a British-Indian singer and songwriter based in London, was raised in Calcutta by her musical family and steeped in the Bengali Folk Music tradition, however, her focus moved to Pop and Rock soon after she settled in England.
Taking inspiration from artists such as Dolly Parton, Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Slash and Janis Joplin, as well as her own cross-cultural upbringing, Sujata’s songs present a unique fusion of Rock, Pop, Blues and Indian sounds sitars and tablas with guitars and drums.
Against the backdrop of social norms of professions in South Asian culture, Sujata has chosen her career to be a pop-rock singer.
Through hard times in her life, from childhood bullying to conflicts in her own community as an adult, she found her expression in singing and writing, as a young 6-year-old girl, she dreamt of becoming a singer.
Sujata was raised in a multi-faith environment, with a diverse cultural upbringing by her grandmother in India, and then by her parents in England. Her strong belief in the power of unity and equality can be heard in her lyrics.
Her album ‘She Lives in a Dream’ is a reflection of her life experiences, beliefs, issues and matters of the heart.
“My songs convey emotions that I find difficult to speak about”, says the singer.
Her powerful, potent lyrics reflect the challenges of life and honour the human, as they spotlight topics such as the prevalent injustice of the caste system in Indian culture, which is referenced in her son ‘Only One Religion’ and the abortion of female babies in ‘Too Much Rain’, which are tracks five and seven in her album.
The intensity of her emotions is mirrored in her new album, which also features musical artists: Ashley Blasse, Jonathan Mayer and Kuljit Bhamra.
Sujata says “I write lyrics when I’m angry or sad. My emotions just burst out into lyrics on paper and notes on my keyboard”.
Produced and arranged by Kuljit Bhamra, the music fuses strong, rocky guitar chords with ‘in your face’ sitar riffs and tablas.
Her powerful rock-pop voice and style are unusual for a Brit-Asian woman, but not surprising for one who feels strongly about the dilemmas and conflicts of being torn between two cultures.