Bass virtuoso Mohini Dey on India's male-dominated music industry and not afraid to take risks

Indian bassist Mohini Dey, who just performed at Billboard Live Tokyo and Osaka, spoke with Billboard Japan about their Women in Music interview series featuring female players in the entertainment industry. The WIM initiative in Japan was launched in 2022 in the same spirit as Billboard's Women in Music which started in 2007, honoring artists, producers and executives who have made significant contributions to the music industry and empowered women through their work.

Known for her technical brilliance, Dey has collaborated with veteran artists such as Quincy Jones, Steve Vai, Mike Stern and Simon Phillips, as well as touring with Willow and Japanese rock legends B'z. Described as the 'Most Successful Musician Under 30' by Forbes India, the bass virtuoso shared (via an email interview) her experience working in the male-dominated industry in her county and her hopes to bring about positive change.

Growing up, who were some women you looked up to? Who were some of your female role models?

My mother was my first role model as she is a singer and worked professionally in my early years. There are a lot of women that I look up to like Carole King, Carole Kaye, Joni Mitchell and Sheila E. as they all made a huge difference in the music industry.

My original dream was to become a fashion designer. In fact, my dad forced me to practice after it got out that music was my real talent. Music has always been the only option in my family. What's amazing about life is that now, I design most of my stage outfits and that's how I've been able to live out my childhood dream of being a fashion designer as well as my father's dream of me being a professional bass player.

According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2024 by the World Economic Forum, India ranked 129th, Japan 118th out of 146 countries. Since Indian culture is much more conservative than Western culture, were there any cultural differences regarding gender that surprised you as you started performing outside of your home country?

Yes, playing outside India exposed me to various cultural differences regarding gender. In many western countries, I noticed a more progressive attitude towards women in music. There was more acceptance and support for female musicians, which was refreshing. However, this also highlighted the conservatism in Indian culture, where women are often expected to conform to traditional roles. It was surprising yet motivating to see the potential for change and how different cultures deal with gender issues in music. That being said, I always like to reinforce the truth that there was an army of forward-thinking and forward-thinking men who helped me reach the heights I am today: most of them Indian men. There are forward thinking people in every culture, it's just a challenge to find them. I am proud to say that men like Ranjit Barot and my father, Sujay Dey, were more progressive in their thinking than the average person in my country

In speaking with female Japanese artists for this interview series, an issue that came up frequently was how they hesitated to talk about social issues, including gender, because of backlash or this thought that art and politics shouldn't mix. Is this also happening in India?

This is quite common in India as well. Many artists, including women, are reluctant to speak out about social issues for fear of backlash. There is a strong belief that art and politics should remain separate, which can stifle important discussions. However, I believe that art is a powerful means of change and we should use our platforms to address and challenge social issues, including gender. I hope to build and maintain respect with political leaders so that we can affect positive change in our cultures. We should aspire to bring back the best of other cultures to our home.

How has being a woman affected your career?

Being a woman in the music industry comes with unique challenges and advantages. On the one hand, I have faced skepticism and prejudice simply because of my gender. On the other hand, being a woman has set me apart and brought a unique perspective to my music. It made me more resilient and determined to break barriers. Ultimately, I believe my gender has enriched my journey, making me a stronger and more compassionate musician.

Have you personally faced prejudice or sexism in your career? What are some of the biggest challenges facing Indian women artists or creatives?

Indian women artists face many challenges including societal expectations, lack of representation and limited opportunities. There is a significant gender disparity across genres, with women often underrepresented in Indian classical, rock and even mainstream music. In addition, societal pressures to conform to traditional roles and a lack of support for women pursuing creative careers add to the difficulties. Breaking down these barriers requires sustained effort, community support and systemic changes in the industry.

I have largely escaped this gender bias by making myself as different as possible from everyone else in the Indian music industry. No one else sounds like me on bass and that was very intentional. I tell students when I do masterclasses that no matter whether male or female, old or young, a person must make himself undeniable. That is, one has practiced their craft so much that they have accepted exactly who they are and what they are trying to do. Once your confidence and skills are at a high level, opportunities will arise.

I would also argue that India didn't fully embrace me until I started achieving success outside the country. Growing my audience in the US, Japan and Europe inevitably showed my Indian audience the caliber in which I can operate. Since then, I have been given much more opportunities in my home country with a much greater degree of respect.

The touring scene, which you've spent a lot of time in during your career, is mostly dominated by men. Although some progress has been made, it can still be difficult for women to have their voices heard. What still needs to be done to make it even more inclusive and diverse?

I think it starts at home. Families should encourage their daughters to pursue music. This will increase the number of music students, a proportion of whom will enter the music industry. This is a numbers problem as more boys in India study music than girls. I think we also need more prominent female musicians to encourage young students to compete with the boys and not be afraid to be better than them. Some girls at school want to be liked by the boys and so don't want to show off or upset the boys. This mentality must be eradicated completely. Girls are strong and should be treated as such.

On the industry side, I've seen a lot of improvement in terms of women getting opportunities especially on stage. A huge area where I would like to see improvement is the presence of female producers, film composers and mix/master engineers. These fields are predominantly male.

Another challenge women in music face is restarting their careers after an extended leave of absence, whether it's for maternity leave or personal reasons. Are there any support systems or safeguards you wish existed so that female artists could enjoy long careers?

While I can't speak personally on this point as I don't have children, I understand why it's important. First I would reach out to women worldwide and ask them to front a band, write your own music, own your brand or own your company. If you only spend your time as a side musician, eventually your gig will stop because your name isn't on the bill. So there's an accountability aspect that, while everyone has to play gigs for other artists, every other waking moment should be spent growing your profile as much as possible. When the time comes to transition to a solo career, go all in.

Regarding maternity leave, yes, this is a difficult situation. I think it should probably be a political decision and that government subsidies should be given to a social program.

On Billboard Japan's Hot 100 charts for the year-end 2023, 64 songs were by men, 19 were by women, 16 were by duos or mixed-gender groups, and one song was by an artist who has not revealed their gender. What are your thoughts on these results and would you say the situation is similar in India?

I would say the percentage is similar if not more male and less female in India. There are many female artists, but most of these artists do not write their own music, and most of the songwriters, composers, producers, and arrangers are men.

In India, the music industry is dominated by Bollywood cinema. Most of the directors are men and as a result most of the directors have historically hired male music directors who hire male arrangers, engineers and so on. The only one who is female is probably the singer and maybe a fraction of the instrumentalists who may work on the project.

To change the industry, we need more female representation across the entertainment world from film, art, music, graphic design, animation and more.

Over the last 20 years in Europe and the US, more opportunities have been given to women, LGBBTQ+ people, as well as non-majority races in film and music. This happened because there was an audience that wanted something different and companies had to invest in products that would give the audience what they wanted.

If audiences in Japan and India speak up and say they want more female representation in film and music, the companies will get it. So, I see this happening at the grassroots, political level.

As a role model yourself, is there any advice you wish you had given yourself at the start of your career?

If I could give advice to my younger self, it would be to trust your gut and stay true to your passion. The journey will not be easy and there will be challenges, but persistence and dedication will see you to your goals. Surround yourself with supportive people who believe in you and your talent. Don't be afraid to take risks and embrace your uniqueness. Your voice and music matter and can inspire others.