‘FOUGHT GENDER BIAS AND RACISM’
When people ask me what kept me going during adversities, I say, ‘My dreams’. I have always been a dreamer. As a child, I used to sing and imagined myself being covered in the media. I dreamt of name and fame, being invited for concerts, you know, all those mundane dreams. But dreams do come true.
Today, the most popular international and national media have shared my story. I was featured in almost all the USA and UK-based music magazines. Dreaming and believing in dreams took me forward.
Bagpipes came much later in my life and had its own set of challenges. The instrument is unique — unlike the guitar or keyboard for which you can easily find mentors. In 2012, I started practising the bagpipes with very limited resources. I started searching about it online and made friends from across the world. They helped me whenever I was stuck. I pushed myself to
Listening to the covers of Coldplay’s Hymn for the Weekend, theme songs for the Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead played by Archy J on her bagpipes can transport you to a different world. She has recently released her original song, Nageena, a mix of Persian and Indian music influences on her YouTube channel, The Snake Charmer, and it has crossed over 4.6 million views. Read about her journey in her own words.
pursue it, without a teacher to sort out my queries. There were lots of obstacles but I always found out ways to conquer them. In 2014, I got a bagpipe set — not a traditional Scottish one, but semielectronic.
It’s one of the most difficult instruments to carry and requires physical strength, but women, too, can excel if they have the will. Initially, I was belittled for being a woman, that too not Scottish, and yet playing the instrument. They even criticised my instrument, but I can’t use a traditional one because it is not suitable for Indian temperatures. I had to fight some stereotypes but I also received a lot of appreciation.
I still get fan mails from all over the world. I am known to showcase bagpipes in a different light. People connect with my style. It’s new, fresh and young.