Vibe check

Delhi or Bern? Raclette or chaat? Alps or the Himalayas? Swiss-Indian singer BombayMami debates which country does it better, and where her loyalties lie

- Christalle Fernandes

For singer BombayMami, being half-Swiss and half-Indian means getting the best of both worlds. Her father is from Varanasi; her mother, from Bern. Growing up, it was normal for fondue and pani puri to be polished off on the same day; for Swiss folk songs and Hindustani classical music to play backto-back in their living room.

Earlier this year, BombayMami went viral for her video cruising down the Swiss slopes in a fiery red lehenga. But she's been creating music for longer than that. Born Shanta Azalea Venkatesh, the rapper and songwriter took on the name Ta'Shan before re-launching herself as BombayMami. She's trained in Hindustani classical vocal music, and has performed at the UK's Glastonbury and Great Escape festivals.

Her music is catchy - Western pop with Indian classical music liberally stirred in. Badass lyrics about being imperfect and rejecting convention set to the delicate harmonies of the sitar and sarod. She shows up in her videos in maxi dresses and puffer jackets, jhumkas, maang tikkas and nose rings.

The lehenga video was a promo for her song, Fire in Delhi. It drew comments from her Indian-Swiss fans and mixed-race Indians - who said, "This is exactly what the inside of my brain looks like." So, we asked her to pick sides. Can Indian mithai beat Swiss chocolate? Is a Geneva market more fun than a Mumbai bazaar? Which country has more bizarre rules? Let's find out.

Which capital city would you rather spend a day exploring, Bern or Delhi?

Delhi, for sure! Bern is adorable, but you see everything that needs to be seen in one hour. I'd love to explore Lajpat Nagar and Sarojini market, see the Red Fort, Jama Masjid and the Lotus Temple. And the Lodhi art district, too.

Which country does snacks better?