“The recognition only means something if the work behind it is real,” says Sumeet Tappoo

Bollywood singer and soulful voice Sumeet Tappoo has had a remarkable 12 months. From performing across America, to celebrating the 4th anniversary of the Sai Sanjeevani Heart Hospital in Fiji to attending the One World One Family Festival at Vienna’s historic Hofburg Imperial Palace, his life moves constantly between the stage and the world of humanitarian service. With four awards at the 2025 CLEF Music Awards, a hospital expansion back home in Fiji and a growing presence on the global stage, we sat down with him to talk about music, mission and what drives him forward.

Sumeet Tappoo on music, service and why purpose changes everything

You were recently in Vienna for the One World One Family Festival at the Hofburg Palace. What was that experience like for you?
It was truly extraordinary. The Hofburg has this incredible weight to it, centuries of history in every corridor, and to see it filled with people from so many different countries and cultures, all gathered around this idea of shared humanity, was deeply moving. The performances by Dr. L. Subramaniam, Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam and the Sai Symphony Orchestra were something I will not forget easily. And the Sai Symphony Orchestra itself, these are young musicians from rural India performing on one of Europe’s most prestigious stages. That alone tells you what this mission is capable of.

You also met some remarkable people that evening.
Yes, I had the privilege of meeting Their Royal Highnesses Crown Princess Katharine and Crown Prince Alexander Karadordevic of Serbia, Princess Dr. Vesna and the wonderful violinist Lydia Baich. These are people from very different worlds, and yet the conversation always came back to the same things. Music, compassion, what we owe each other as human beings. That is the power of what Sri Madhusudan Sai has built with this mission. It creates a room where those conversations happen naturally.

During your trip to Vienna and Europe, you received two very special gifts. Tell us about it.
Oh yes! I am absolutely humbled that Novak Djokovic through his Foundation sent me a signed tennis ball as a goodwill gesture. I met Novak in Dubai some time back and it was a surreal moment to receive this gift from him. The second gift was also absolutely beautiful. I am incredibly grateful to Luka Modric and the Croatian football team for gifting me a signed world cup jersey through Ms Zorica Pantovic. I was absolutely thrilled to receive these gifts of love. It’s amazing how the universe connects you with goodness when you live a life of purpose.

Speaking of Sri Madhusudan Sai, you have been closely associated with his One World One Family Mission for some time now. What does that relationship mean to you personally?
It has shaped a great deal of who I am, how I approach life, how I prioritize life and how I carry out my duties both professionally and personally. I serve on the Global Leadership Team of the One World One Family mission, which operates across more than 100 countries providing free healthcare, education and nutrition. But beyond the titles, what it has given me is a very clear sense of why I do what I do. My concerts raise funds for the humanitarian projects in India and around the world and also for the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Heart Hospital in Fiji, which my wife Dr. Krupali heads. The hospital recently expanded to serve not just children but women and men across Fiji and the wider Pacific, all completely free of charge. When I stand on stage, I am aware that the evening has a purpose beyond the music. That awareness changes everything about how you perform.

You won four awards at the 2025 CLEF Music Awards, including Best Album for Dil Pareshan Karta Hai. How did that feel?

Humbling, genuinely. Working with Gulzar Sahab on that album was a privilege I do not take lightly. He is one of the greatest poets of our time, and when someone of his stature trusts you with his words, you feel the weight of that responsibility.

That kind of recognition belongs equally to Gulzar Sahab, to Pt. Bhavdeep Jaipurwale, and to everyone who believed in the project. And then to have Legacy recognised across genres as well, devotional, Sufi, classical, it told me that we had made something with real substance. That sweep across such different categories in a single evening meant a great deal to me and to Anupji.

Your album Legacy with Anup Jalota celebrated 40 years of your guru-shishya bond. What does that relationship mean to you after all this time?
It is difficult to put into words. Anupji took me under his wings and mentored me. I was a small child in Fiji attending his concerts, completely captivated, and he saw something in me that I could not yet see in myself. That moment set the direction of my entire life. Forty years later, to have made an album together that spans classical, devotional, Sufi and contemporary genres, and to see how it has been received, it feels like a full circle. But also like a beginning, because the relationship continues to evolve.

You have been honoured by the governments of Fiji, the United States and the United Kingdom among others. How do you carry all of that recognition without losing sight of what matters?
Honestly speaking, awards are great motivators but it isn’t what drives me. What inspires me is the purpose behind what I do. It is a family in Fiji hearing that their child’s heart surgery went well. It is a school-going child who can learn because his or her stomach is full after partaking of breakfast. It is a young girl child from rural India who is the first female in her family to receive education. It is a young musician from rural India performing in Vienna. Those are the moments that remind you why any of this matters. The awards are generous and I am grateful for each one. But they only mean something if the work behind them is real.

What is next for you?
More music, more concerts, more service. That is the honest answer. I am always working on new material and there are tours being planned. But the thread running through all of it stays the same. Music without purpose is just sound. I want everything I do to carry something beyond the notes.