Talking Tabla with Tina
By Rachna Kapur
June 5, 2011

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Tina Sugandh
From tabla to dancing, Tina Sugandh is a "Bollywood Girl" with many talents. Tina was born to a musical family who toured as a professional group on weekends. From being raised with music, Tina realized that she had a passion for music herself, after completing her degree, she decided to pursue her dreams.

Since then, this rising star has been on a musical journey experimenting in a few different genres. She has worked with everyone from Ringo to Fat Joe. Like many breaking artists who are likened to their successors, Tina often gets compared to Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls, as well as mega talents such as Prince and Shakira because of her multi-talent; singing, dancing and playing multiple instruments. Tina plays several instruments with guitar and tabla being her main focus.

Urban Milan had an exclusive interview with Tina Sugandh and learned a little about the "Bollywood Girl":  
UM: You are described as a writer, singer, tabla player, dancer, guitarist, and actress. Which one do you identify with most?
TS: I love it all! I loved being a VJ on AVS just as much as I love playing, singing, or being an entrepreneur. I love it all and I feel that the way the entertainment industry is right now, you really need to have multiple assets to stay afloat. Next up is learning to fly.

UM: How is Fat Joe as a person and to work with?
TS: I had an amazing time with Fat Joe at my music video shoot for “So Good”.  We had an all day, all night shoot  that was 2 days long, and Fat Joe’s call time was 6am on the last “night”! He strolled onto the set with a big smile on his face, was totally humble, and told me how much he loved “So Good”.   He probably just strolled in from the bar which had something to do with how happy he was, but what else are you going to do on your way to a 6 AM call-time in NYC?

UM: Which artist have you worked with that impressed you the most?
TS: I would have to say working with Ringo Starr was most impressive. Not only was he incredibly funny, but he was really humble and down-to-earth.  I sang in hindi and played tabla on his album (there is actually really great footage of me teaching him tabla on my youtube which is you can see here. He asked me to come back to his house two weeks later  to come and hang with his family as a “thank you” for being on the album. There was home-cooked Indian food and everything! I remember one of our conversations being about how fragile we all are as humans and how a tornado could wipe us out at any moment. He’s  just a really humble dude.

UM: Which video are you most proud of?
TS: I’m definitely most proud of “So Good”! I’m proud of how hard I worked to get The Style Network’s hit show “Jerseylicious” to do an entire episode about the making of the video.  I’m proud to have worked with the incredible director Paul Coy Allen who has recently directed Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, and much more. \ I’m just really proud of how hard everyone worked to make this video a success like the choreographer BT, and my dancers, and the actors, and of course everyone affiliated with the production. I was up every morning at like 4am for three months in a row to ensure that every detail came together, and I’m so grateful for the result!
UM: Who are your inspirations when growing up and now for music?
TS: I started performing professionally with my family when I was five years old. My sister, mom, dad, and I, would all have school and work during the week, and then would travel every weekend to some amazing Bollywood event where we would all sing in over seven different languages and play instruments. My dad, (who is a mimic, comic, and actor, and was most recently seen on NBC’s “Outsourced”, would MC the shows). These performances will always be my biggest inspiration since they taught me the importance of using music as a tool to uplift the masses. Putting a smile on someone’s face has always been and will always be what inspires me!

UM: What have you learned about relationships and what type of partner do you see yourself with?
TS: I learned that things never turn out the way you think and that you can’t always plan these things! All I know about who I see myself with is that he is a genuinely good person, down-to-earth, treats everyone with respect, and is not a macho idiot that tries to act all tough. I will definitely not be with one of those guys that wears shades in a dark club and has that “hey baby” attitude. Those macho guys just make me laugh.

UM: How has growing up in NJ impacted your music career and how has it been perceived by the entertainment industry? (As opposed to living in LA..)
TS: I was raised in good ol’ “Dirty Jerzey”, but now I live mostly in LA, NY, and PA. I love that I was raised in Jersey though, since I now have a sarcastic comeback for absolutely anything!  I feel that my upbringing has something to do with me being able to sift through all the BS in this industry. I used to hang with the tough-girls in Jersey, and that definitely made me a strong person that holds my ground. The downside is that after a couple of drinks, my Jersey accent is unleashed, and suddenly “coffee” becomes “cawf-ee”. My L.A. friends love to make fun of me for that!

UM: You studied biology at Rutgers University, did you consider going into that field?
TS: Yes, I love biology to this day! I got into an accelerated medical program after I graduated college, but I also got the record deal of a lifetime offered to me (since I was pursing both music and bio throughout college). I chose the record deal, but I do miss bio a lot! Luckily I have a ton of doctors in my family, so I can sneak into an O.R. if the nostalgia gets unbearable!