The Dey Way: Mohini Dey on Family, Evolution, and Leading at the 2026 Newport Jazz Festival

In 1966, at the height of his fame, George Harrison traveled to India in search of spiritual enlightenment. He met Ravi Shankar and learned how to play the sitar, changing the face of Western rock and pop. But the meeting of East and West went far beyond the Beatles. John Coltrane and Yusef Lateef’s long-form modal explorations had striking similarities to ragas and incorporated scales from Indian music. And, around that same time as Harrison’s trek, jazz went electric. Guitarist Larry Coryell’s The Free Spirits’ Out of Sight and Sound (ABC, 1967) set a spark that led to the fully blazing fire of Bitches Brew (Columbia, 1970). As jazz plugged in, yet more Indian classical influences entered the picture. Miles’ 70s work featured Khalil Balakrishna’s electric sitar and Badal Roy’s tablas. The Dark Prince of Jazz’s guitarist collaborator went even further with the powerhouse Mahavishnu Orchestra. His later return to acoustic sound, Shakti, ventured yet deeper into the subcontinent. And by the 80s, L. Subramaniam created a “neo-fusion” of Carnatic music with jazz. The point being that while not nearly as publicized as Harrison’s yearnings, Indian traditional musical forms were invariably wed to Western jazz, especially when rock tinges were already in the picture. It is easy to see Mohini Dey as solely the next step on this intertwining of stylistic lineage. But there is more than meets the eye.

It cannot be overstated how Dey steps forward from the path left by those before her. Some of her past collaborators, including maestro Zakir Hussain and Sivamani, certainly played major roles in the merging of jazz-rock fusion and Indian music. But much of their work lay in finding spaces of artistic translation. Their excellence came, in part, from finding where cross-cultural approaches to improvisation, rhythm, and modality best intersect. Born in 1996, Dey has the benefit of this work already being mastered before she came onto the scene. Instead, she can more fully focus on her own identity – as an Indian woman who both knows and reveres her native culture and loves Western art – and how it manifests in her sound. Her heavy slapping gives deep, wildly funky grooves. Her high-intensity runs provide the aggressive edge of metal. Her approach to konnakol – South Indian vocal percussion – flirts with jazz scatting. In so doing, she is able to produce music that is not only truer to herself but also expands the combined language of fusion into new terrain. She makes the seams sewn by her artistic ancestors disappear entirely.

Actually, it often becomes difficult to precisely locate the origins of each of Dey’s different influences. In her music, they all coalesce together into a high-energy whole. The fluidity with which she draws upon several traditions is a testament to not only Dey’s skills as a composer but also her mastery of her instrument. From her years as a child prodigy to now, she has developed herself into one of the most distinctive electric bassists performing today. Even more amazingly, she has done so with only one album – Mohini Dey (self-released, 2023) – released under her own name. If the dearth of recordings as a leader may have left a gap, her YouTube videos and TikTok reels filled it well. Her viral videos have earned Dey a significant number of followers who can openly see the greatness of what she does, even if they do not always fully comprehend the genius of what they are witnessing.

We corresponded with Dey via email ahead of her upcoming Newport Jazz Festival leader debut and the release of her top secret second record, The Dey Way (self-released, 2026), to get a better glimpse into her story, her process, and her growth as an artist. Answers have been edited for clarity.

PostGenre: You performed at Newport last summer with Willow. How was your experience there?

Mohini Dey: It was mind-blowing because I had no idea that I personally have a following, and even though I was a sideman on Willow’s gig, people were screaming my name. That was extremely wholesome and special. I will never forget that.

PG: Now, you will be at the Festival as a leader. What does it mean to you to be performing as a leader at Newport?

MD: Honestly, I am so honoured and blessed to be able to share my story through my music. I never once thought that I’d be touring the world with my music, but here I am playing some of the biggest venues and festivals. It’s a dream that I never saw coming. I am very grateful for all these amazing opportunities and I want to continue to make music and celebrate life. I am super excited for my show at the Newport Jazz Festival because I’ll be playing some of my new songs from my new album ‘THE DEY WAY’.

PG: Both you and Anoushka Shankar will be performing on the same day at Newport this summer. Your music sounds very different from each other, but have you ever crossed paths or considered collaborating, given your shared Indian classical roots and boundary-pushing approaches? Any chance of that happening at Newport?

MD: It’s so awesome that we are performing on the same day. Anoushka is amazing, and I’d love to collaborate with her at some point for sure! [But] my Newport performance is going to focus on music from my new album.

PG: Your music is often high-energy and technically demanding. Is that something that is easy to translate to a large outdoor festival setting compared to the studio?

MD: I love being in the studio more than touring, but some of my best performances have been in intimate clubs. I love performing at open-air venues. I think having a good sound engineer who knows how to mix my kind of music for it to translate the best in both scenarios really helps! Due to slapbacks in open-air venues, sometimes heavy music can be tricky to mix, but if done right, it can sound incredibly big! Also, as musicians, knowing how to adapt to different spaces and playing to the venue sizes shows experience, resulting in a cleaner, nicer mix.

PG: Newport has a legacy of showcasing groundbreaking and genre-expanding artists. Some of these have been unquestionably within the jazz lineage – people like Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, or John Coltrane – and others have been a little more removed – for instance, Sly and the Family Stone or James Brown – and are often considered “jazz adjacent,” but still tied to the history. Where do you see your music as lying between those two poles?

MD: When I was growing up, there were far fewer examples of Indian instrumentalists or bass players visible on a global stage or even female instrumentalists. Today, because of platforms like Instagram and YouTube, the barrier to entry is lower; you can put your music out there instantly, and the world can find you.

But at the same time, the competition is also global. You’re not just competing locally anymore; you’re standing next to some of the best musicians in the world every single day.

What has changed is the openness. I feel like audiences today are more curious and more accepting of different cultures and sounds. Coming from India, with such a deep rhythmic and musical heritage, that’s actually a huge advantage— if you own it right!

For me, it’s never been about trying to fit into a global sound. It’s been about bringing my identity into the music, my upbringing, the way I hear rhythm, [and] the way I phrase things. That’s what connects.

So yes, the doors are more open. But walking through them still takes the same things it always did – clarity, discipline, and a very strong sense of who you are. I started working professionally at the age of 9. It took me 20 years of doing this to finally get the kind of recognition I want, and I am still going. You have to keep putting yourself out there and repeatedly tell your story to be heard.  Nothing is easy. It’s all hard work. I am not thinking about where my music sits in terms of categories because I am very aware that, because of my unique foundation, I stand out.

PG: Your music draws from a lot of influences – jazz fusion, progressive rock, funk, R&B, Indian classical and Carnatic music, and more. Do you see significant differences between these categories? How much do you keep the supposed lines of each in mind when composing or improvising?

MD: I don’t have a problem switching from genre to genre, maybe because I grew up in India and I was fortunate enough to have the privilege of working with extraordinary musicians from the North [and] South of India, as well as having the honour of working in many jazz clubs. My dad was working for Bollywood movies directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, working for jingles/ads, and with so many legendary singers like Hariharan and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan just to name a few. My mom was a Hindustani Classical singer and a Bharatnatyam dancer, so I guess I grew up with a lot of fusion. I love the fluctuation because my foundation involved that, as you can see. Maybe that’s why it feels pretty natural to me. I don’t really categorise separately because for me, it’s just music, and if it feels good, it’s good! I am not thinking in terms of categories while writing music. I think more about what grooves better and what sounds better to me in terms of harmony & rhythm. Music was 24/7 at home for sure.

But I don’t think I ever experienced music as something separate from life. It wasn’t “music time” and “normal time”; it was just always there. It was normal and part of the discipline for me. Conversations were about rhythm, rehearsals were happening at home, people were coming in and out, and instruments were everywhere.

It’s a great foundation for a kid to have an environment like that, especially when you are trying to get your kid to participate in music.

Listening to Dad practise his bass and seeing him play various kinds of music on our TV with our DVD player trained my ears to have good rhythm and pitch. It’s definitely a lot to grasp and feels like work at first, but it gets better with practice.

PG: You have been playing the bass since you were three and turned professional on it at a very young age. How do you feel your relationship to the instrument has changed most over the years?

MD: I am 29 now and going to be 30 on the 20th of July. I don’t think I am young in my head. [laughing]. I am definitely young at heart because I feel like a kid when I am creating. Yes, I felt different from other kids because I had a different schedule compared to theirs, and also, because I started working when I was 9 years old, I had a lot on my plate to balance. I had a very strict routine. No, I did not have time for anything else. I think some moments that I can remember that made me realise that I was different was when kids would make fun of me after watching me on TV by saying- ‘Tinga linga on the guitar’ or when I was allowed a half day at school because I was called in for a session and every kid in my classroom gave a look and would whisper saying- ‘look at her, going to play her guitar.. she thinks she is a rockstar.. yeah pimple-face rockstar’. Just lame stuff kids would say because they felt insecure or were jealous. I am not sure because I didn’t have any close friends. I was a nerd who was very focused and introverted.

My dad realised that I was a prodigy when I was 3 years old because I could already keep time with music playing. I could feel the rhythm. Around the age of 7, he saw that I was able to play things that were out of the norm. He was giving me challenging lessons. I was able to deliver within a very short period of time, and that surprised him. I always knew that if I put my mind to something, I would do it best. I always knew that I had a love for art. It didn’t have to be music. It could have been fashion, painting, interior designing, or artist management. Anything related to admin work, editing, or just in the creative field. I knew I would be great at all those things because I love creating from nothing. 

I would say I really started to learn more about myself at the age of 13. I was pretty depressed at that time because I didn’t think I was enough. I was struggling emotionally and had learning blocks, and had to overcome that by taking huge steps. My father and I had a really deep relationship. It was extreme love and extreme everything. So, you can imagine that the fights were also very toxic. I made up my mind one day, promising myself that I would move out of my parents’ place, get my own life, be independent, take control, and lead my life the way I wanted to. Dad raised me like a guy with very harsh punishments and tough love, but loved me like his little girl. He always said I was his diamond and that I changed his life. I remember the times when I would need to finish playing the exercise correctly in order to get my lunch or dinner, or else I would be locked in the room until I got it right. I remember Dad telling me that I won’t be successful without him. When a child goes through extremes like that and experiences a lot of hurt/pain, I think there is some kind of fire that takes birth, which leads to a fiery mindset.

My mother compromised her entire career for her family so that Dad could provide, because traditionally speaking, women always ended up taking the backseat. Mom and Dad had their own set of challenges, which my sister and I saw growing up, and so I guess I grew up really fast, seeing life at an early age.

I promised myself that I would work hard to stabilise myself financially and then provide and take care of my family in every way. Not just financially but also in working on our relationships. I am glad that my dad and I were able to have a beautiful relationship for a few years before he passed away in November 2023. I am grateful for all his teachings, and he gave me my gift. I give him all the credit for who I am today. Yes, it was very painful for both of us. I was a rebellious kid. He had to learn to respect my choices, and I had to respect him. The generational gap was a real thing, but we learnt to laugh together at our fights and lame jokes.

I have many ambitions in life, and I’ll keep working at them until I die. I think I was brought to earth for a reason, and I’ll keep creating and telling my story through my work. Rest is for people to perceive, which I cannot control. I am at a point in my life where I am so happy with where I am and I continue to grow and keep finding things that I want to do so there will always be things that I want to do. I want to launch my own clothing line, for one. But now, I am busy writing a lot of music. I’m in my juju so once I am done with that, I’ll have my next phase.

So, has my relationship with my instrument changed over the years? Yes! Now I play my bass when I feel like it, which is sometimes once every two weeks, but initially it was every day without fail.

PG: Your new album, THE DEY WAY, comes almost three years after your first self-titled debut. How do you feel you have developed or changed the most during that period between albums?

MD: I think that artistic minds get influenced and inspired by things around them or from what they experience emotionally. A lot happened in my personal life. Lows and Highs. Losing my dad to getting divorced and then touring the world with Willow Smith opening for Coldplay, Childish Gambino, and then touring the world with my own band and music. The dynamic shift with my mom and sister after losing dad, who was such a vital part of what I am. All of this had a huge impact on my evolution. I think that for me, my personal human evolution simultaneously impacts my artistry. So, my music shows and carries the growth, and every part of my state changes. I am way more mature, wiser, organised and content with the way I am and the way I deal with things. I am also way more driven because of that. Having the right people around you makes a huge difference in your energy.

PG: You mentioned earlier how you were introverted in your youth. THE DEY WAY includes a piece called “Xtroverted Soul,” and your last album had one called “Introverted Soul.” How are the two related?

MD: At 13, I wrote a song called “Introverted Soul.”

At 28, I released my self-titled album MOHINI DEY, and that song found its place on the record.

Introverted Soul reflected who I was at the time — a young girl who spent most of her life observing, processing, and expressing herself through music more comfortably than through words.

Now, two years later, comes XTROVERTED SOUL.

Not because I’ve become a different person, but because I’ve grown into parts of myself that I used to hide.

I still value solitude.

I still spend a lot of time in my own head.

I still need quiet moments to create and reflect.

But I’ve also learned to take up space.

To speak up.

To be vulnerable.

To celebrate my wins.

To connect more deeply.

To let people see me for who I really am.

To me, an extroverted soul isn’t the loudest person in the room. It’s someone who is no longer afraid of being seen.

This song represents that evolution.

Getting to share it with WILLOW felt incredibly fitting, as she’s always struck me as someone who embraces every part of herself without apology.

PG: Another song on THE DEY WAY,  “Uncle Dennis,” features Dennis Chambers. How did you meet him, and has he been much of an influence on you musically?

MD: I grew up watching and hearing Dennis Chambers play with various artists. One album that really stayed with me was Extraction (Tone Center, 2003)  by Greg Howe. I met Dennis for the first time on a plane to China. He was flying with Mike Stern as he was touring. I was on the same flight, and I happened to bump into Mike, and he introduced me to Dennis. I said “Hello”, and Dennis already knew of me and said my name before I shook his hand. We hugged and shared stories about artists we know, touring schedules, and how we should play together. When I was writing music for THE DEY WAY, I knew I had to ask him to be a part of it, and so I did. He was interested in working with me, and that’s how it all rolled out. We exchanged numbers. I sent him my song a couple of months later, and he recorded it.

PG: You have described your music as reflecting your life’s journey. With the new album and the high-profile Newport appearance, what chapter of your story do you feel you are sharing with the world right now?

MD: I think I am sharing the new me now, which is much more grown-up and evolved and unapologetically me.

I care less about what people think and more about what makes me happy. I believe when I care about myself first, I can care about everything else better. I am excited to share the new extended parts of me through this new album and a new era.

Witness the beginning of Mohini Dey’s new era at the 2026 Newport Jazz Festival on Friday, July 31, 2026. You can read more about the Festival here. Stay tuned as we continue our extensive pre-coverage of the event. We will also be providing live coverage from Fort Adams. ‘THE DEY WAY’ will be released on July 20, 2026 and can be purchased on Bandcamp.