Art has a transformative power, for it has the potential to shape lives and foster connections in ways we may not even realize. As for Vasundhara Vee, art first gave her an identity and later served as her grounding force.
As a quiet and unassuming child, Vasundhara wanted to pursue everything except singing. She came from a family deeply engaged in the arts, with her grand uncle P.C. Barua being the creator of the first Devdas film, and her grand-aunt Pratima Barua Pandey being instrumental in the revival of Assamese folk music. Because of this background, Vasundhara took singing for granted. However, years later, participating in choir music gave her the identity of ‘the girl who sings’, and nothing else could compare to the joy that music brought her. A significant turning point came in 2012 when she lost her voice and faced the possibility of vocal surgery. This experience compelled her to re-evaluate her connection to singing. Vasundhara reflected, ‘I learned to ground myself in my humanity and view music as a way to express the deeper lessons that life offers. Voice loss also led me into 15 years of studying voice and vocal health which continues to be a passion for me.’
Vasundhara has a deep voice. Her natural vibrato adds a unique character to her singing, enhancing the emotional depth of her performances. The combination of her deep voice and vibrant vibrato creates a soulful and powerful sound that will hold you, conveying a profound sense of sincerity and expressiveness. Whether performing jazz, gospel, or R&B, Vasundhara’s voice embodies a rare blend of strength and vulnerability, leaving a lasting impression on everyone who hears her sing.
CREATING SOUL MUSIC
Like my grand aunt and my mom, I have a deep voice. I was also born with a vibrato. Neither of these qualities was standard in the prominent female voices when I was a child. Luckily, I found my natural ‘place’ in a choir, where my deep voice and vibrato were celebrated. Gospel songs, Christmas repertoire, Motown and finally Jazz came into my life through years of being in various great choirs in Delhi. I would describe my sensibility as ‘Soul’ which is not only a sound but a quality of soulfulness, earnestness, resilience and personal power. It is these qualities that are codified into the sound of Soul, the Blues, Jazz and even RnB. Beyond that, if anyone asks, I would just sing for them because nothing beats that.
NEW BODY OF WORK
I am working on a record. The first song of this series will be out very soon. My life’s work in music is going to be about joy, resilience, healing and community. I need to have fun doing this, so the music needs to be predominantly fun too. The core idea is that we can heal and develop stronger inner worlds while still having a ton of fun.
INTENTIONAL ART
I think the magic of what I create is in how my voice com- municates with the other elements. I can sing in a very old style but have a very modern edgy arrangement around it. Or we could go old school with the instrumentation and have a modern vocal on it. Finding the right combination of things can make a song relatable and fresh at the same time. Every element in the track needs to be in charge of one aspect of the vibe we are going for. Every bit has to be very intentional and well executed.
VOICE AND EMOTION
I have studied voice as a subject for the last 15 years and could go on for days about this. Just like the eyes are an instrument of external perception, the voice is an instrument of internal perception. We can all tell how our friend is doing just by hearing their voice because the voice is neurologically wired to reflect the internal state of the animal (i.e. us). We share this neural setup with all mammals. It’s called the Mammalian Social Engagement System.
On the other side, the ear and eyes have also evolved to read the auditory and visual cues of the social engagement system. These are essentially micro-expressions in the face and the vocal tract.
This is how social animals co-regulate. This is how an earnest performance makes us feel real emotion. It’s not only psychological, it is a physical system with nerves dedicated to this. This is also exactly how we know someone is lying. We know by instinct that something is off in their voice even if they are making the ‘right’ faces.
Words Hansika Lohani
Date 09.04.2025