Sid Sriram, The First South Indian Artist To Perform At Coachella, Discusses The “Beautiful Blur” Of Playing The Fest & Being Discovered By A. R. Rahman

deadline.com:

EXCLUSIVE: Thirteen years ago, a young Sidharth Sriram promised himself that the first time he would attend Coachella would be the first time he performed.

Last weekend, that dream came true. Sriram, who has sung more than 250 songs on Indian productions, is now 33 and has in the past few days become the first South Indian artist to perform at the world-renowned festival, which takes place across two weekends in the Colorado Desert.

He played his second set yesterday and is featuring on a bill with Lana Del Rey, Doja Cat and Tyler the Creator. “I’ve described it as a beautiful blur,” Sriram tells Deadline over Zoom in the days after his first performance. “It felt like it just came and went.” His performance came just a year after Punjabi singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh became the first Indian to take the Coachella stage.

Showcasing the diversity of the musical offering from the world’s most populous country, Sriram is this year bringing Carnatic-inspired music to the festival, tunes that have emerged from the classical music tradition of South India but blend modern influences like R&B, jazz and indie rock. “I try not to think about [being the first] because it can get in your head and your ego can get inflated,” says Sriram. “In that moment when I’m on stage, people don’t really care about the fact that I’m the first South Indian to play or whatever, they’re just there to experience the music.” Sriram counters that he doesn’t “wear that responsibility lightly,” adding: “Carnatic music is very deep in the roots of being South Indian, and I am honored to be able to showcase my perspective and version of what being South Indian means.” Sriram has had a hectic couple of months.