Kabir Sehgal
Kabir Sehgal | |
|---|---|
| Born | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Author, composer, producer, naval officer, investment banker, financial executive |
| Known for | Author of twelve bestselling books; five Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards as record producer |
Kabir Sehgal is an American author, composer, producer, naval officer, military veteran, investment banker, and financial executive. He has authored twelve books that have appeared on the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. As a record producer, he has earned five Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards. His previous professional roles include serving as a vice president at JPMorgan Chase and holding a position at First Data Corporation.
Education
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Sehgal attended The Lovett School. He pursued his undergraduate studies at Dartmouth College, where he contributed as a staff columnist for the university newspaper The Dartmouth, played bass in the jazz band, and was affiliated with Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He later completed a postgraduate degree with distinction at the London School of Economics, earning the Reynolds Scholarship.
Career
Kabir Sehgal is the Founder and CEO of Tiger Turn Productions, a multimedia enterprise focusing on music, film, and diverse multimedia initiatives.
His corporate experience includes strategic roles at First Data Corporation, a global payments company responsible for the largest initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in 2015. Prior to that, Sehgal was a vice president in the emerging markets equities division at J.P. Morgan, where he contributed to the historic Alibaba IPO—the largest ever recorded. His career began with launching an online education startup in India alongside a partner; however, the venture did not succeed.
Literary career
Sehgal’s debut book, Jazzocracy: Jazz, Democracy, and the Creation of a New American Mythology (2008, Better World Books), investigates the intersection of jazz music and democratic ideals. Drawing upon his involvement with the John Kerry campaign and collaborations with Grammy-winning artist Wynton Marsalis, this work inspired both a course at Baruch College and a TED Talk.
In May 2010, he co-authored Walk in My Shoes: Conversations between a Civil Rights Legend and his Godson on the Journey Ahead alongside former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young. This work delves into themes of leadership, civil rights, and spirituality and features a foreword by President Bill Clinton.
A Bucket of Blessings (Simon & Schuster, 2014), a children’s book that achieved placement on the New York Times bestseller list, narrates Monkey’s quest to deliver water during a drought. The foreword was penned by Maya Angelou. This story was adapted into a stage production at the Alliance Theatre in 2016.
His 2015 publication Coined: The Rich Life of Money and How Its History Has Shaped Us analyzes money’s pivotal role throughout society from historical, anthropological, and neuroscientific angles. Recognized by Business Insider as one of the top 15 business books of 2015, Sehgal argues that digital currencies such as Bitcoin are unlikely to supplant the U.S. dollar due to governmental regulation. Coined became a bestseller on both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal lists; additionally, the Financial Times commended its diverse exploration of finance.
The children’s book The Wheels on the Tuk Tuk (Simon & Schuster, 2016) provides an engaging glimpse into everyday cultural experiences abroad.
In collaboration with Deepak Chopra, Sehgal co-wrote Home: Where Everyone is Welcome (Grand Central Publishing, 2017), a poetry collection inspired by American immigrant stories that attained bestseller status according to Publishers Weekly.
Fandango at the Wall (Grand Central Publishing, 2018) examines Mexican fandango and son jarocho musical traditions. Accompanied by a CD fusing Afro Latin Jazz with son jarocho styles, it explores U.S.-Mexico relations with contributions including a foreword by Douglas Brinkley and an afterword by Andrew Young. This book was nominated for Best Original Work at the 2019 Audie Awards.
Simon & Schuster released Festival of Colors (2018), centered on Holi celebrations; it was recognized as a Favorite Picture Book by Barnes & Noble and recommended by the Georgia Center for the Book. Another children’s title from 2018, Thread of Love, highlights raksha bandhan customs and was honored as one of Seattle Public Library’s Best Children’s Books.
In December 2018, Sehgal co-authored Legion of Peace: Twenty Paths to Super Happiness with Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, Monica Yunus, and Camille Zamora (Hachette).
His Indian alphabet book titled P is For Poppadoms! was published by Simon & Schuster in November 2019.
In May 2020, Sehgal collaborated with his father R.K. Sehgal to write Close the Loop: The Life of an American Dream CEO and His Five Lessons for Success, which chronicles his father’s immigrant journey culminating in business leadership and government service.
Sehgal’s articles have been featured in prominent outlets including The New York Times, Fortune, Foreign Policy, and Harvard Business Review. His media appearances span CNN, PBS, NPR, Bloomberg Television, Fox News, CNBC, C-SPAN, Cheddar TV, National Geographic Channel, and Fusion. He also co-founded an information systems journal during his time at the London School of Economics.
Music career
Sehgal is recognized as a jazz bassist, composer, and a producer honored with multiple Grammy Awards. His production credits include albums by Deepak Chopra, Chucho Valdés, Arturo O'Farrill, Ted Nash, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Gabriel Alegria, Ben Allison, Pablo Ziegler, John Daversa, Lori Henriques, Paul Avgerinos, Pedro Giraudo, Manuel Valera, Emilio Solla, and Gregorio Uribe. Throughout his career, he has earned five Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammys as a producer, with his projects garnering twenty-one nominations and receiving thirteen awards.
He took on the roles of executive producer, producer, and liner notes writer for The Offense of the Drum by Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. This album secured the Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album and the 2015 Cubadisco accolade for Best International Album. Additionally, it was nominated for a Latin Grammy.
In December 2014, Sehgal collaborated with O'Farrill to lead a recording session in Havana for Cuba: The Conversation Continues, which was released in August 2015. Sehgal served as executive producer, artistic producer, and penned the liner notes. The album received acclaim from The New York Times, describing it as "an ambitious statement that honors deeply held musical traditions while pushing forward." It was selected as Best Latin Jazz Album in an NPR critics' poll and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. The track "The Afro Latin Jazz Suite" from this album won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition. Furthermore, Cuba: The Conversation Continues claimed the Latin Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album.
Sehgal also acted as executive and artistic producer for Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom by the Ted Nash Big Band. This project featured speeches delivered by Andrew Young, Glenn Close, and Sam Waterston. Sehgal co-authored the liner notes alongside Douglas Brinkley. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, with its composition "Spoken at Midnight" earning Best Instrumental Composition.
He fulfilled executive and artistic production duties on Familia: Tribute to Bebo & Chico by Arturo O'Farrill & Chucho Valdés. Sehgal wrote the liner notes and composed "Raja Ram," which includes a performance by Grammy-nominated sitarist Anoushka Shankar. In 2017, the piece "Three Revolutions" from this album was awarded a Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition.
Sehgal produced Jazz Tango by the Pablo Ziegler Trio—winner of the 2017 Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album—and also produced Pedro Giraudo's Vigor Tanguero, which received the 2018 Latin Grammy Award for Best Tango Album.
He produced and authored liner notes for Legion of Peace: Songs Inspired by Nobel Peace Laureates performed by Lori Henriques Quintet featuring Joey Alexander; this album was released on International Day of Peace in 2018. In addition to producing, Sehgal performed bass on the record. Each track pays tribute to Nobel Peace Prize recipients such as Malala Yousafzai and Desmond Tutu.
Sehgal served as executive producer on Fandango at the Wall by Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (released September 2018). He contributed bass and Leona performances as well as composing a piece for this two-disc set. The project brought together musicians from both sides of the San Diego–Tijuana border wall and featured artists including Regina Carter, Antonio Sanchez, Ana Tijoux, Mandy Gonzalez, Akua Dixon, the Villalobos Brothers, Rahim AlHaj, and son jarocho musicians Patricio Hidalgo among others. The Nation named it "The Most Valuable Music of 2018." Its track "Line in the Sand" was issued in collaboration with UNICEF.
In September 2018, Sehgal produced American Dreamers: Voices of Hope, Music of Freedom by John Daversa Big Band featuring 53 DACA recipients. He played bass and wrote the liner notes for this project that received endorsements from Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Kamala Harris. The album earned three Grammys: Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album; Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella; and Best Improvised Jazz Solo.
Portions of Sehgal's opera "Angela Ring" have been showcased at Carnegie Hall.
Film career
The short film "Music Without Borders" achieved finalist status in the Migrant Voice Film Challenge.
Philanthropy
In 2006, Sehgal co-established Music for Tomorrow (MFT), a nonprofit organization originally dedicated to raising funds to assist musicians returning to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Over time, MFT transformed into a digital platform facilitating bookings between jazz artists and venues nationwide, while also collecting voluntary contributions for charities based in New Orleans. In 2014, MFT integrated with the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance.
Sehgal holds a position on the advisory board at NYU Stern’s Center for Business and Human Rights and is an active member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He has been honored as a Young Leader by the French-American Foundation and was designated a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2020.
Military service
As an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, Sehgal completed active duty assignments with special operations units in the Middle East and was awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
Personal life
Sehgal is the grandson of Piara Singh Gill, an Indian nuclear physicist, and the son of R.K. Sehgal, a businessman and public official. Additionally, he is godson to Andrew Young, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and advisor to Martin Luther King Jr.
Bibliography
- 2008 Jazzocracy: Jazz, Democracy, and the Creation of a New American Mythology
- 2010 Walk in My Shoes: Conversations between a Civil Rights Legend and his Godson on the Journey Ahead
- 2014 A Bucket of Blessings
- 2015 Coined: The Rich Life of Money and How Its History Has Shaped Us
- 2016 The Wheels on the Tuk Tuk
- 2017 Home: Where Everyone Is Welcome
- 2018 Festival of Colors
- 2018 Thread of Love
- 2018 Fandango at the Wall
- 2018 Legion of Peace
- 2019 P is for Poppadoms
Selected discography
With Arturo O'Farill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
- 2011: 40 Acres and a Burro (Associate Producer)
- 2014: The Offense of the Drum (Executive Producer, producer, Liner Notes)
- 2015: Cuba: The Conversation Continues (Executive Producer, Producer, Liner Notes)
- 2017: Familia: Tribute to Bebo & Chico (Executive Producer, Producer, Liner Notes, Composer)
- 2018: Fandango at the Wall (Executive Producer, producer, Liner Notes, composer, Bass, Leona, Vocals)
- 2020: Four Questions (Executive Producer, producer, Liner Notes)
With others
- 2015: 10 – Gabriel Alegria Afro-Peruvian Sextet (Producer)
- 2015: Cumbia Universal – Gregorio Uribe (Producer, Associate Producer, Liner Notes)
- 2016: Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom – Ted Nash (Executive Producer, producer, Liner Notes)
- 2016: Native Land – Gwen Hughes (Producer)
- 2016: Runaway Train – Joe Mulholland Trio (Executive Producer, Producer)
- 2016: Shanti Samsara – Ricky Kej (Producer, Liner Notes)
- 2016: Tributango – Emilio Solla (Executive Producer, Producer)
- 2016: Carlos Barbosa-Lima Plays Mason Williams – Carlos Barbosa-Lima (Producer)
- 2017: Home: Where Everyone Is Welcome (Artist, Producer, Liner Notes, Bass, Composer)
- 2017: Jazz Tango – Pablo Ziegler (Producer, Liner Notes)
- 2017: Layers of the City – Ben Allison (Executive Producer)
- 2017: Maple Leaf Rag – Chris Washburne (Producer, Liner Notes)
- 2017: Rediscovered Ellington – Dial & Oatts, Rich DeRosa, The WDR Big Band (Producer, Liner Notes)
- 2018: Mortality Mansions – Herschel Garfein & Donald Hall (Producer)
- 2018: Argentina vs. Uruguay – Gustavo Casenave & Dario Boente (Executive Producer, producer, Liner Notes)
- 2018: Vigor Tanguero – Pedro Giraudo (Producer, Liner Notes)
- 2018: An Argentinian in New York – Pedro Giraudo (Producer, Liner Notes)
- 2018: China Caribe – Dongfeng Liu (Producer, Liner Notes)
- 2018: American Dreamers – John Daversa Big Band Featuring DACA Artists (Executive Producer, producer, Liner Notes, Bass, Composer)
- 2018: Legion of Peace – Lori Henriques Quartet featuring Joey Alexander (Executive Producer, producer, Bass, Liner Notes)
- 2018: The Planets – Manuel Valera Trio (Producer, Liner Notes)
- 2018: Mindfulness – Paul Avgerinos (Producer)
- 2019: Meditations on the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success – Deepak Chopra, Paul Avgerinos, Kabir Sehgal (Artist, Producer)
- 2019: Crossing Borders – Richie Beirach, Gregor Huebner, WDR Big Band (Producer, Liner Notes)
- 2019: El Violin Latino, Vol. 3: Los Soñadores – Gregor Hueber (Producer, Liner Notes)
- 2019: Hiding Out – Mike Holober & Gotham Jazz Orchestra (Producer, Liner Notes)
- 2020: Spiritual Warrior – Deepak Chopra, Paul Avgerinos, Kabir Sehgal (Executive Producer, producer, Artist)
- 2020: Swing States – Regina Carter (Executive Producer, producer, Liner Notes, Bass, Percussion)