Indian bassist Mohini Dey has recently joined Willow Smith’s new band and shared her excitement about the opportunities ahead in her career. In an exclusive chat from the sets of Jimmy Fallon’s show in New York, Mohini spoke to the India Times about working with an eclectic set of musicians. Moreover, she also shared how Willow the daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith has a deep India connection. Let’s check out the complete details of this story.
Mohini Dey shared her working experience with Will Smith
The 23-yeard told the outlet, “I was hired for her band around three months ago. I haven’t really spoken about it, and it was kind of a surprise when it launched! When her team called me, they said that Willow was a big fan of my playing and ‘she wants you in the band’. I play a lot of fusion, and her music is more pop, but they assured me that her album (released a few days ago) was quite technical and ‘kind of fusion.’”
He added, “I knew it’d be fun and would open a huge market for me in the US. So, we did NPR’s Tiny Desk (concert series). I finally met Willow and the others in the band a week before that at the rehearsals.”
She continues, “She has such a great voice and is so talented! She plays drums, bass guitar and sings. She incorporates Indian gamaks and African grace notes and she has great vocal control. It was fascinating to see the music she was creating. Willow has a masterful mind. She writes and produces her own songs and it a true musician. I absolutely adore her!”
As for playing with the eclectic set of musicians in Willow’s band, the musician noted, “It was my first time playing with The Pocket Queen on drums, Liso Lee on guitar, Zach Tenorio on keyboards and Willow. I’m the newest band member! On the first day of rehearsal, we all just played and fell in love with each other! It was sounding so good we were playing live, no playback, no clicks, no in-ears! Very few people are doing that in today’s time.”
She continues, “We’re still learning so much about each other and there’s a lot of new energy. We’re jamming in between rehearsals, coming up with new songs. There’s lots going on behind the scenes.”
Moreover, she also shared how Willow has a great admiration for Kirtan, “She loves different cultures and follows kirtan music, which is why she was wearing a tilak at the Tiny Desk concert. She also has a Saraswati tattoo. When she’s in India, she does kirtan and meets swamijis with whom she spends time. She is very spiritual and does meditation and yoga. Kirtan for her is a way of meditating.”
Also Read: Singer Shreyas Puranik shows his gratitude to his mother on Mother’s Day
