No Borders x Priyanka Vigneswaran
Tell us about who you are.
It feels very hard to encompass that in a short answer, but here’s my go at it: I am a spirit in the form of a person you may know as Priyanka. To give a more concrete answer: I’m a multi-hyphenate creative expressing my unique frequency through the art forms of DJing, dancing, and many others. I was born and raised in Los Angeles by Sri Lankan Tamil immigrant parents. My dad’s work as an immigration attorney helping Sri Lankan Tamil refugees seek asylum in the US had a huge impact on my upbringing. I grew up being hyper-aware of the tumultuous situation in my mother country and didn’t get the chance to connect and go back until this past year. Despite this, my parents ingrained the Tamil culture within us by enrolling my sister and me in Carnatic singing lessons and Bharathanatyam classes. I went on to do my arangetram (a 2-hour-long solo dance performance), not knowing that this rigorous training in the arts would set me up for what I’m doing today.
How did you get into the work you do?
Ever since I remember, I've been drawn to music and dancing. My parents saw this interest and put me into Bharatanatyam dance classes and Carnatic vocal lessons early on. Of course, as I got older, I began to get programmed into what I “thought” I should be doing instead of staying true to my essence. In a way, our younger selves have a lot to teach us - they have a lot of answers as to what our “purpose” in life is. Before we get lost in cultures, customs, traditions, society, etc. I went to college, got a good job, and did that for a while until I really hit a wall during the pandemic. I knew that I needed a career shift, and DJing was something that kept popping up in my mind. A few years later, here I am doing what I love and sharing what I have to offer with others.
How would you characterize yourself as an artist? How would you characterize the music you make and listen to?
Nothing that I create is my own; it’s from something greater I just get to be the person to execute it. As an artist, I characterize myself as a human surrendering to be a clear channel for spirit to speak through. The music I make comes from my heart. I love making and listening to music that makes you feel deeply. Makes you feel held. Makes you feel the essence of surrender and release. I hope to continue to make music that expands people's hearts and makes them feel like everything is going to be alright.
What influences do you draw from?
I’m constantly being influenced, so it can be a bit challenging to narrow it down. In the music and DJing space, I would say A.R. Rahman, Sun-El Musician, Jordan Rakei, and Joe Kay currently inspire me. This past year I took a yoga teacher training/Vedic Sciences course to dive deeper into my spiritual lineage which made me more mindful of my approach and intentionality in music curation and service to the community (karma yoga).
What do you value?
Authenticity, kindness, unconditional love, and gratitude.
