Mumbai, May 9 (IANS): Having been close to classical Indian music herself, singer Shilpa Rao says the youth of the country need to value and learn the musical heritage that India instils.

"We often tend to overlook our own Indian music and culture. It's great that we're very hospitable and welcome all forms of western music, but it's also very important for our youth to value our own Indian music and learn Indian music," Rao told IANS.

"If you have to do something big then you have to be truly Indian from inside. Be yourself, that's very important," she added.

The award winning-singer says being from a small town doesn't matter when it comes to being successful as long as one is focused towards their goal.

"There's a myth that 'I'm from a small town, I don't have that much exposure'. It doesn't really matter where you're coming from, be it a metropolitan or a small town, as long as you're working hard and you have the patience to keep trying and chasing your dream," said the singer who hails from Jamshedpur.

Rao is currently working for a film, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Danis Tanovic with music composer Pritam Chakraborty.