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Vidya Vox is an American singer, songwriter, and YouTuber.
Wiki/Biography
Vidya Vox was born as ‘Vidya Iyer’ on Wednesday, 26 September 1990 (age 29 years; as in 2019) in Chennai. Her zodiac sign is Libra.
Vidya Vox as a Child
At the age of five, she started learning Carnatic music. When she was eight years old, her family immigrated to the USA. She grew up in Virginia in the US. She did her BSc with a Major Psychology and Minor in Biomedical Sciences from George Washington University and was planning to pursue MCAT to get into a medical school in 2012. At the same time, she was also working at a clinic. In the midst of all this, she decided to make her career in music. Later, she moved to India for two years to learn Carnatic Classical and western vocals. She learned Carnatic music from D. K. Nagarajan, brother of D. K. Patammal.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5’ 3”
Eye Colour: Black
Hair Colour: Black
Family & Caste
She was born in a Tamil Family. She has a sister named Vandana Iyer.
Vidya Vox with her Mother and Sister
She has a boyfriend named Shankar Tucker, clarinettist and music composer.
Vidya Vox with her Boyfriend
Career
Vidya, along with her sister, Vandana and her boyfriend, Shankar collaborated in 2011 and gave voice to Shankar’s composition, Nee Nenaindal on his YouTube Channel, The Shruti Box.
She performs regularly with Shankar’s band. She has performed in White House, National Centre for the Performing Arts (India), and Webster Hall and various events such as Festivals Des Artes in Reunion Island, INK Women, Suriname, Dubai, and the Meru Concert Series in the Netherlands. She started her YouTube channel in 2014, and uploaded her first video of the mashup of the songs ‘Big Girls Cry’ of Sia and ‘Kabhi Jo Badal Barse;’ the video is no longer available due to copyright issues with Yash Raj Films. She has more than 6.50 M subscribers on her YouTube Channel. Some of her popular covers include Love Me Like You Do|Hosanna, Closer|Kabira, Lean On|Jind Mahi, We Don’t Talk Anymore|Pani Da Rang, and Kuttanadan Punjayile (Kerela’s Famous Boat Song).
Her first album came in the year 2017 titled ‘Kuthu Fire.’
Her second album was ‘Mad Dreams’ (2019).
Awards & Achievements
- YouTube Creator Awards – Silver Button in 2015
Vidya Vox Receiving her Award
- YouTube Creator Awards – Gold Button in 2016
Favourite Things
- Food: Rice, Dal, Bhindi Sabzi, Dosa & Sambhar, Pizza, Tacos, Burritos
- Song: Jiya Jale from the film “Dil Se” (1998)
Facts/Trivia
- She likes playing tennis, reading, and dancing.
- According to her, her father was very abusive towards her mother and also very controlling. He directed her family in what they should wear to what they should do. When he became too violent, her mother left with both her and her sister. However, due to this, her music teacher refused to teach music to Vidya.
- Growing up in the US wasn’t easy for Vidya, as being an Indian, she was not accepted in her school.
Growing up in the US as an Indian wasn’t easy. I was teased about Indian food and the colour of my skin and why my knees and elbows were dark”
- Being an Indian and living in the US, she experienced the mix of both the cultures while growing up. Talking about it, she said,
It was very interesting. It always felt like two different worlds. At home, I would be singing bhajans and kritis, eating dosa and sambar, but when I went to school, I’d be listening to Backstreet Boys, Destiny’s Child, Usher and eating pizza. That tug between both cultures was something I was intimidated by”
- During Vidya’s Pre-med studies, she opened her YouTube channel and started to post videos on them. After her graduation, she decided to choose music as her career.
- Her pseudonym ‘Vox’ means ‘Voice’ in Latin. The name came to her when she realized that Shankar used to save her voice recording as ‘Vidya Vox.’
- She is fluent in Tamil, Telugu, English, Hindi, and French languages.