Meet Sentirenla Lucia, the Motown girl from Nagaland

Sentirenla Lucia

Sentirenla Lucia was born to a politician in Northeast India and raised on Glam Rock. So, when the 32-year-old vocalist embraced Motown and Neo Soul, it was quite the surprise. Lucia, a resident of Dimapur, learned her harmonies from the churches in Nagaland. "Music was a daily exercise. I used to sit in a corner and listen, and later, participate. The Motown and Rhythm and Blues fever started when I moved to Delhi last year, and was introduced to Jazz and a cappella," she said.

Sentirenla Lucia

In 2007, through a scholarship, she went to Berklee College of Music in Boston to polish her vocal skills. After returning to India last year, she's now launching her music career with Lucia & Her Soul Brothers, featuring guitarist Adhir Ghosh and drummer Sreenath Sreenivasan. "We were brought together for a gig. At that time, I was in Chennai, looking for a Carnatic teacher, but they coaxed me to move to Delhi, so we could do live music," said Lucia.

Currently touring the country, the band presents a sound that's a mix of Jazz and Blues. Though the tour will comprise covers - from Stevie Wonder to Michael Jackson - original music is in the pipeline.