My Bio used to be written in the second person, as you can see from my blogs, it was all about "Penelope's playing there" or "pen's been busy doing this"....
But I've decided (and I owe thanks to a certain French person for this) to make it more personal. This page is about me, my life in India, and about my music, which ultimately defines who I am. I'm Penelope..... and... I rock! :pContrary to what most people might think, being an Australian musician in India isn't easy. The colour of my skin is of course at times a benefit - it means I can promote myself as an 'international' artist therefore gaining myself more high profile gigs and bigger shows. I understand that. But that's not why I'm here. I came on a different quest (actually got sent here to work in a call centre), and now find myself strangely but wonderfully living out my lifelong dream. And along the way I have chosen to stick to my guns and not surcome to the lure of money and glamour. It started out with cover songs and 5* hotels, but now it's all original, it's all been written in India, and it has to have a reason other than money. The reason is to reach people in a special way, to connect with people, and to write songs which people will carry with them in their heads long after a gig.Because if I wanted to do the whole covers/hotel thing, I could be making a whole lot of money in India - but that would involve the selling of my soul, a whole lot of commercial propaganda, and probably some 'lightbulb changing' dance lessons. Don't get me wrong... I like to Bollywood dance, but only round the lounge room!I love India, and I love the people that I've met here. It's a land of contradictions and hypocrisy, of extreme wealth and extreme poverty, beauty and ugliness, and it is ever-changing yet so stuck in its ancient roots sometimes. My song Ki Hobo has a line which says 'this fragrant land is moulding me', which means that India is changing the way that I write music, the way that I conceptualise a song, and the way I look at myself and at life. It's really a beautiful time for me.So what's it all about:I've now been in India for over two years, after spending two years living in London, and having traveled the world. Over my time here, I've collaborated with some of the biggest names in the music industry including Tabla phenomenon Talvin Singh, flute wizard Rajendra Passana, The Midival Punditz, DJ Dale of Elevate, Papon, and Delhi’s very own menwhopause. I've performed at events like the Jaipur International Heritage Festival (both in 2006, and 2007) with Talvin Singh, and alongside folk artists like Paban Das Baul; The Dhanaulti Festival in the Himalayan foothills with members from Advaita; the Moondust Trance Festival in the Desert with DJ San & DJ Batuta, and even for HRH Prince Charles himself on his 2006 visit to the Punjab. I've also performed in Kathmandu, Nepal, and plan on eventually working the worldwide festival circuit.But apart from doing raw acoustic live sets, I also perform on stage alongside DJ's, mixing electronica with my impromptu vocals with original songs. Currently I'm living in New Delhi, guzzling beer and working on a few projects & collaborations with some of the best musicians in the country, fusing my folk influences with contemporary sounds - both Indian and Western. I hope to have my debut album out by the end of this year. Stay tuned for more tracks - being uploaded very soon :)
