Indian-origin banker, musician Chandrika Tandon wins best New Age album Grammy

Sunday night was celebration day for Indian-born American musician Chandrika Tandon.

- Natasha Rego

At 71, she won her first Grammy the award for Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album for Triveni, a collaborative effort also featuring the music of three-time Grammywinning South African flautist Wouter Kellerman and Japanese-origin cellist Eru Matsumoto.

"Music is love, music is light... music is laughter and let's all be surrounded by love, light, and laughter. Thank you for the music, and thank you to everyone who makes music," Tandon said in her acceptance speech in Los Angeles on a glittering night when Beyonce (album of the year) and Kendrick Lamar (record of the year) walked with multiple awards.

"[This is] a moment that reminds me that music... ignites the light within all of us, and, even in our darkest days, music spreads joy and laughter," Tandon later wrote on Instagram.

Tandon, Kellerman and Matsumoto beat out nominees that included Ricky Kej (for Break of Dawn) and Anoushka Shankar, for Chapter II: How Dark It Is Before Dawn.