Win at the 2025 Global Music Awards reiterates my faith in the power of music, says singer Sonam Kalra

Singer Sonam Kalra blends cultures and faith through her award-winning music

“In February 2010, I was invited to perform at the Urs of Sufi Inayat Khan’s dargah in Delhi. It proved to be a turning point in my musical journey,” says singer Sonam Kalra. “A Sikh girl singing Gospel music being welcomed into an Islamic space. That moment made me feel like the universe was trying to tell me something.” It was then that Sonam thought about The Sufi Gospel Project. “I wondered why can’t I blend an Irish chant with a Buddhist chant or ‘Hallelujah’ with ‘Alla Hoo’ or ‘Abide With Me’ with Bulleh Shah’s verses. I also know the Gayatri Mantra by heart. So why not reflect this unity through music?”

Today, Sonam’s belief has found global affirmation. At the 2025 Global Music Awards held last month, she won three silver medals — two for her rendition of ‘Hum Dekhenge – Where the Mind is Without Fear’ in the categories of Protest Music and Female Vocalist, and a third for her moving piece ‘Hallelujah - Allah Hoo’.

In both, Sonam’s music blends poetry, cultures, and faith. Her interpretation of ‘Hum Dekhenge’ combines Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s revolutionary verses with Rabindranath Tagore’s call for freedom.

Speaking over the phone, Sonam says, “This recognition means a lot to me as it is peer-reviewed — by musicians and experts worldwide.”

She adds that becoming a voting member of the Grammy Recording Academy felt equally significant. “It is an honour because the global music community sees value in the kind of music I am trying to create.”

Validation of her belief

Sonam also sees the Global Music Award as a recognition of her The Sufi Gospel Project. “It is a huge validation,” she says.  Recalling a recent message from Matt Koch, a Los Angeles-based symphonic composer, inviting her to contribute to a global music curriculum, she says, “To be recognised for music that goes deeper is a different validation. It tells me I may not be on the mainstream path, but I’m on my path, and that’s what matters.”