Sundar Viswanathan (@sundarvmusic) is an award-winning (including a 2022 Juno) Canadian jazz musician.
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss how being subjected to racism led him to a career in music, how his dad got him a second opportunity for music education after he failed an audition, going from getting paid in wings to winning a JUNO (@thejunoawards), similarities between being a musician and entrepreneur, the importance of The Canada Council for the Arts (@canada.council) spreading Canadian music around the world, his biggest regret (Creator Confessions), and so much more.
Follow Sundar:
– Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sundarvmusic/)
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Timestamps
00:19 – Ara introduces this week’s guest, Sundar Viswanathan
01:25 – Convincing his parents that music was a viable career path
05:03 – Growing up in Sudbury with few South Asians; racism, being bullied in high school
08:38 – His popular brother, Sudbury being less racist, and Sundar’s perspective on this
10:28 – Confronting one of his bullies, and his bully having no recollection of it
11:44 – Embracing challenges and changing the narrative
12:45 – Being optimistic and naive; the time Sundar wanted to ask a girl out on a date
14:26 – Getting rejected from Laurier; his Dad getting him a second opportunity
18:35 – No expectations of winning a JUNO; critical mass leading to this award
21:19 – Similarities between musicianship and entrepreneurship; the work never stops
23:26 – Where Sundar draws inspiration from; different types of music
27:26 – His first music gig; getting paid in chicken wings
29:07 – Playing in a ceremonial guard band in Ottawa; marching on Parliament Hill
30:34 – How people book Sundar for a performance; networking
34:02 – Mostly not being able to cover his costs; teaching music to compensate
36:44 – The Canada Council for the Arts spreading Canadian music around the world
38:53 – Travelling to Japan, South Africa, and more; what he prefers the most
41:05 – Has his connection to Canada faded as a result of touring from a young age?
43:24 – How Sundar maintains his passion with music, despite doing it for 30+ years
47:00 – Never being satisfied with success; Sundar’s supportive
49:00 – Does Sundar identify more as Indian or Tamil; Aziz Ansari’s ‘Master of None’
51:14 – Advice he would give his younger self, and how he wants to be remembered
52:27 – Creator Confessions
57:38 – The Wrap Up
Intro Music
Produced And Mixed By:
– The Tamil Creator
– Yanchan
Written By:
– Aravinthan Ehamparam
– Yanchan Rajmohan
