Article MARCUS O. CARLSON

In an interview during her late 2021 concert residency, she reflected on meeting her new audience in Philadelphia and New York City. "It's been amazing and magical to experience that for the first time."

Asked how she felt about being called a "rising star," Saleka giggled, wondering what that term meant, "I'm glad that people perceive that happening," although she admitted, "there's a lot of pressure in that term." But, she doesn't seem to feel any pressure to deliver on the star part, feeling comfortable in her skin, and living in her hometown Philadelphia surrounded by her talented Indian American family. Her father is M. Night Shyamala, a famous filmmaker, perhaps best known for the 1999 thriller The Sixth Sense. "We've all been collaborating a lot over the past year or two," she explained, referring to her whole family as a dynamic group of creative people. "My family is very collaborative and close, and we have always been like that"; "I feel super-lucky to have such a talented family that believes in me." 

She worked with her father on two recent projects, creating soundtracks: The Sky Cries from the Apple TV+ series The Servant and Remain from the movie Old. Her father directed the video for The Sky Cries. Her sister Ishana, who directed three of her other music videos, has been instrumental in making Saleka feel comfortable expressing herself in front of the camera. "My sister instinctively knows how to make music videos, and her visuals are so powerful. I feel she embodies the strong woman energy." Ishana also helped her overcome insecurities in her latest video for the song Graffiti. "This music video industry was terrifying for me, and I think there's a lot of insecurities that you have to grapple with when you're going on camera and trying to express something so vulnerable, especially as a woman." 

Saleka pointed out the added value of diversity that she and her sister bring to the industry. “There’s also not a lot of music videos directed and performed by women of color, especially South Asian, and that felt so cool and powerful we were able to do this.” 

Saleka has also been exploring her Indian ancestry as part of an immigrant family and Indian culture through her music. However, growing up, she sometimes found it hard to embrace the culture wholeheartedly. Reconnecting to Indian culture is something she now prioritizes and wants to express in her new songs, but she also wants to address the patriarchy in traditional culture. It's all a balancing act. "This is something I grapple with from time to time. I am finding how to take the pieces of the culture that I love and nurture it while also identifying things that I find wrong and problematic," she explained, referring to the practice of arranged marriage and the custom where a wife is given her husband's name. "It's hard because there are not a lot of Indian role models," she concluded. Although she hopes she can include Indian elements in her outfits and designers in her future musical shows. While traditional Indian clothing may be hard to dance in, Saleka is open to experimenting with fashion in all kinds of ways. "Caroline Duncan, a costume designer, has opened me up to incorporating fashion into an artistic vision." Saleka also wore Elie Saab for the premiere of Old and called Elie Saab and Alexander McQueen her favorite designers. "Thanks to these icons, my fashion sense has evolved, but I still enjoy staying in my old comfort zone of baggy loose-fitted assembles. I love the 90s vibe; I feel comfortable in baggy pants and jackets and crop tops."

Saleka comes across as a passionate yet intellectual person, a union of heart and mind. "Music to me is emotional; all artists are emotional. I would describe myself as an emotional person. I owe a lot to classical piano, that's a very disciplined form, and I think that shaped me in many ways." Would she call herself a feminist? " I don't think that should be a controversial term," she said, emphasizing that men also can be feminists.  "As I am a woman, it is personal to me." Standing up for what she believes is right is also connected to how she interprets her name, as Saleka arguably means, "to do things in the right way." "My name can be generalized to mean many things, and that is hard to live up to." It could very well be about the Saleka of today – finding her way in a world of music that needs a new role model.