Music producer and entrepreneur Vikram Gudi has launched Lila (Sanskrit: divine play), a new initiative designed to reshape the equities of South Asian participation in the UK music industry and bridge the gap in representation and support.
Lila’s first venture sees it as a funding partner of Bobby Friction’s cultural platform, Going South, which, among cultural organisations Dialled In and Daytimers, programs the Arrivals stage at Glastonbury's Shangri-La. The stage will be showcasing 50 hours of South Asian live music and DJs including Anish Kumar, Nabihah Iqbal, Raji Rags and Nikki Nair, alongside Friction.
In partnership with the international nonprofit Shain Shapiro’s Center for Music Ecosystems, Lila will develop research-backed initiatives to narrow the diversity participation gap. Increasing access to professional development resources, scholarships, recognition and collaborations will enable South Asian musicians and industry professionals to reach new heights within the industry.
The initiative will offer quantitative research and analysis on South Asian participation in the industry, a central resource and catalyst to support South Asian music, increased global opportunities for South Asian artists and research and monitoring tools to examine Lila’s impact in real time.
“The idea of Lila has been in the back of my mind throughout my music career,” said Gudi. “I’ve always known that I wanted to do something more, after seeing a distinct lack of funding, initiatives and infrastructure for South Asian musicians and music professionals. I had few role models from my own background to look up to, and I sensed that there was more I could do in the future. There’s an overwhelming amount of South Asian talent in the UK, and we want Lila to act as an accelerator. I’m excited to work with CME; and have the wealth of experience and passion of Shain behind us. There’s a sense of optimism around the South Asian music community and now is our opportunity to move the needle significantly.”
There’s an overwhelming amount of South Asian talent in the UK, and we want Lila to act as an accelerator
Vikram Gudi
Shapiro commented: “The more diverse our music industry is, the better it will be financially, socially and holistically. This means intentionally working to enhance all forms of diversity. It is a privilege to be working with Vik on this initiative, which we hope will start in the UK and evolve to include many more countries and industries around the world.”
Friction added: “It's been an epic journey and a joy working with Lila and Vikram. Vikram and I are so obviously aligned with what we want for South Asian music in the UK and globally, plus his boundless optimism is infectious. Organisations like Lila are sorely needed at the moment and its timing couldn't be better. So much of the structure around charities and NGOs within the music ecosystem doesn't focus on the British Asian music community, but Lila’s efforts for equality across the entire music industry can change that.”
“The South Asian diaspora has always had deep cultural and creative musical sounds,” said Ammo Talwar, CEO of Punch Records and chair of UK Music Diversity Taskforce. “I’m very excited about Lila’s mission around supporting the next wave of UK talent and how that manifests.”
For more information on Lila, visit the official site www.lilamusic.org
