Tina Sugandh – taking over video networks

Born in Mumbai, raised in New Jersey – music has always been an integral part of pop sensation TINA’s life. Singing and performing since 5 years old, she had an early start with a very musical family who toured as a professional group on weekends.

Tina featuring Fat Joe ‘So Good’ Music Video. What a hot song!!

ASIANCE: Growing up in a very musical family, by default, you were exposed to performing and expressing yourself through music. Besides that, what attracted you about being a musical artist?

Tina: There were so many attractive things about being an artist! I started performing with my family when I was five, and from the start my parents taught me that music was all about “uplifting the masses”. They showed me that you could send people on a rollercoaster of emotions just through music. My dad, who is a hysterical MC/mimic/comedian would make everyone laugh, then we would sing everything from ghazals to bhangra to garbaa, to sindhi ladaas, to film songs, and tons more! The tears and smiles and laughter and happiness on the audience faces most attracted me to this business. One example of how I still implement this in my solo career is that I have been recently going to high schools all over the country to perform and to also talk to the students about various topics like bullying, education, how beautiful their individuality is, and more!

ASIANCE: You’ve been in the entertainment industry for a while. What has it been like living almost your entire life as an entertainer?

Tina: It’s been simply amazing. There are things I had to give up of course (such as being on my high school basketball team since that involved weekend games, and missing all my friends birthday parties since I would be on tour, and basically having any kind of social life) but I am only grateful for all of my experiences! I would say the two greatest things about performing with my family were the incredibly strong family bond that resulted from years of weekend touring together, and also being able to retain certain aspects of my culture while growing up in this country. I now proudly have the skills to impress any Auntie/Uncle out there by busting out into a full Gujurati garba song, or an old Punjabi folk song, or a ghazal, and much more! Lol! In fact, I sang “Awaz De Kahaan Hai” for a eldery Indian women a few weeks ago and she started singing with me, and then started tearing because she was so happy! What’s better than that?!

ASIANCE: If you weren’t in the entertainment business, what do you think you would be pursuing in life?

Tina: I really do not know! I’m SO bad at the “what if” game! This is the path I’ve chosen, and I have some serious tunnel vision! I want what I want and I will work my tail off and not think about what else I could be doing until I have reached my goal…and then it’s onto the next goal! Although, I did graduate from college with honors in biology, and I did get accepted into a medical program, so I guess maybe I would have moved forward in that direction?

Tina Sugandh

ASIANCE: You released your single, “So Good,” featuring Fat Joe. Can you talk about the single and how you met Fat Joe?

Tina: This single “So Good” is my first mainstream single! It was created by the absolutely genius team of Charlie Hype and Jim Beanz. They actually both make appearances in the music video! Charlie is the driver of that hot Maybach, and Jim sits to the right of me in the VIP booth! As far as Fat Joe, The Sunset Group had connections to him, and I personally think he took the song to a whole new level! We had a really great time at the two-day video shoot too! Fat Joe is just really cool and laid-back and sweet. The director of “So Good” was none other than Paul Coy Allen who is just one of the coolest, funniest, down-to-earth guys I’ve ever worked with. He’s directed Timbaland, Katy Perry, Drake, Justin Timberlake, and more. We also had The Style Network show “Jerseylicious” out at the shoot since they covered the making of my video in one of their episodes!

ASIANCE: What’s next on your agenda in your career?

Tina: I have so many goals, and suddenly I have so many different avenues to get there, which I am incredibly grateful for! I would say in general, I just want to continue to gather that massive fan base so I can continue to give back to the world in bigger and bigger ways. (I know that’s a very “Miss America” answer, but it’s the truth!)

ASIANCE: From your personal experience, what would be one very important piece of advice you would give to those pursuing the same entertainer path like you?

Tina: I would advise balance. Get out there and work your tail off and do it all! I got an honors degree in Biology and a record deal at the same time by just implementing a great amount of focus, discipline, and drive, and I feel that balance is a beautiful thing to have in order to accomplish it all. I would also advise living the way my mom lived every single day of her life, which is to “see the good-and ONLY the good in everything and everyone” since there are a ton of heartbreaks in this industry no matter who you are or how talented you are. What’s the point of dwelling on the negative anyway? Life’s too short for that-and negativity is completely futile anyway!