Explore popular quotes and sayings by an American entertainer Vidya Vox.
Last updated on December 25, 2024.
Vidya Iyer, better known by her stage name Vidya Vox, is an American YouTuber and singer. She was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India and immigrated with her family to the United States of America at the age of eight. According to NBC News, her music is a mix of "Western pop, electronic dance music, Bollywood hits, and Indian classical music." Since beginning her channel in April 2015, her videos have received over 906 million views, and her channel has accumulated over 7 million subscribers.
Visuals are important, as listeners like to 'see' the song.
I find it difficult to talk about myself. I'm just shy.
Music was my solace, my refuge.
I want to bring Indian music to the mainstream.
I grew up on Queen, ABBA and at the same time, Nityasree.
I was raised in an Indian household - singing classical music and eating south Indian food. But the second I went to school, it was a different world. I'd be listening to Destiny's Child, Usher and the Backstreet Boys. It wasn't until college that I really found the balance between the two worlds.
Growing up in Virginia, I was surrounded by two different cultures.
My father was actually controlling and abusive.
My entire family is from Palakkad, and my grandmother grew up in Kerala, as did my mom.
Most of my family speaks fluent Malayalam.
Most of the clothes and accessories in my videos come from my wardrobe.
My music is a whole reflection of who I'm as an individual.
I never thought being a musician would be something I could make a career out of.
I have found a groove and a combination between originals and mashups that I think works well.
The great thing about both Indian and Western pop music is that they're fast and have a beat.
Yeah, I didn't ever think about music as a career. Like, it was never - it's just something like an extracurricular activity that my mom put me in. And as every South Asian, you know, like, child, I was like - oh, OK, I can do medicine.
I guess fusion would be the best way to describe my music. I think it also goes into the spectrum of electronic and dance with inspiration from Indian folk songs.
Kerala is one of my favourite places. It's so beautiful, so serene!
It's very natural for me to sing in English and have a tabla in an arrangement, to have hip-hop beats but sing in Tamil. It's very niche but I love doing it.
There's no longevity on YouTube. You have to keep pushing boundaries.
I was once trying to find a song to fit Nicki Minaj's 'Hey Mama.' But nothing worked out. Sometimes, you can't help it.
Always put out content that you are 100% happy with.
I spoke in Tamil at home and ate dosa and idli.
I was bullied when I was in middle school in D.C., especially for being an Indian, because there weren't many Indian kids in school. And because of that, I tended to hide my Indian culture, but that changed by the end of high school. Now, I am 100% proud of it.
Growing up, I had a bit of an identity crisis.
My mom took my sister and I to music classes. We used to hate practising as kids but my grandma used to make it fun by playing musical games with us.
The money I earn from a live show is divided into two parts. One section goes towards producing my music videos, and the other goes into my savings.
I was born in India, and - I was born in Chennai - South Indian. And my parents moved to the U.S. when I was about 8 or 9 years old.
You can put your music out on YouTube and get messages from all over the world.
Music is so subjective and personal, I don't expect people to like everything I do. But that's life and you have to live unapologetically.
I loved science. I still love it; I'm a nerd in that sense.
I used to have blue hair, and a lot of people hated that I had blue or green hair, and I'd get so many comments like, 'you're so perfect, but why do you have blue hair?' And it's like, okay, but it's my hair and I can do whatever I want.
It's very important to me to stay true to who I am as a musician and the songs that I love.
It's okay, it's cool to be Indian and there are cool people that are Indian and doing really well. It's okay to be brown and cool.
The one thing I won't do is sacrifice my Indian identity in my music, my clothing choices. It's something I tried to hide growing up, and I would never do that again because it's such a big part of me and I'm very proud of it.
Music has been my way of expressing what I've been feeling.
I grew up listening to dappan koothu songs and loved the fun party vibes they gave.
Most of my jewellery is what I picked up in India.
I've gotten to perform in the most beautiful places, like the Nourse Theatre in San Francisco.
When I launched my channel, I felt I was ready to do this. It's not that I had learnt everything - because as an artiste you never stop learning, but I was ready to put out my voice in the world.
During college, I collaborated with another YouTuber and musician, Shankar Tucker. He told me, 'You can do music on YouTube and it's a viable way to put out your songs' and it worked out.
I think it's important to wear what you love no matter the trends, that will make you feel comfortable and confident.
I was actually going for the pre-medicine track and studying for my MCATs and then I decided to follow my passion, which was music. So I moved to India after college to re-immerse myself in Indian music.
YouTube is amazing because you really don't have to wait for anyone to showcase your work. Social media in general is like that. People can connect with it all over the world.
I'm so grateful to be able to do music.
I grew up learning carnatic music but I also enjoyed english music so I always thought I could marry the two words and we tried the idea once and it was a hit.
I can be a mix of both. I don't have to be an Indian or an American. They're not mutually exclusive. It's something growing up I didn't know.
I'll always be a student of music.
If your intention is pure, an audience will recognise it and connect with you.
It's all about the balance. For musicians, me personally, you just can't keep doing covers or mash-ups. It would get old pretty fast.
Growing up in the U.S. as an Indian wasn't easy.
You can't please everyone.
My mother had to make an unconventional decision. We had to run away from home. She made a really difficult decision to leave financial stability behind and undertake raising two girls on her own.
The thing about doing mashups and covers is it's great, but a part of you never gets to really showcase what your original sound is like or what your writing voice is like.
I was teased about Indian food and the colour of my skin and why my knees and elbows were dark.
I was embarrassed about being Indian and I was very introverted. My mom would pack me Indian food for lunch. All the kids had their Lunchables and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and I had rice and dal. They would say, 'Does your house smell like curry? You smell like curry!' So, I'd never eat lunch, really. Or, I'd hide to eat lunch.
I love mixing Indian and Western.
My mother and grandmother are very supportive of me, and they always have a say in things. They also really help with any pronunciation problems I have with Tamil and Malayalam, and can always identify if there is a mistake and correct it.
By the time I went to college, I had totally embraced my Indianness, but I still didn't tell anyone I could sing.
It might sound corny, but honestly, it's worth staying true to your voice. It'll get you places.