A New Voice

An MA in vocal music with distinction from Panjab University,scholarship holder throughout his academic career,judged best singer in a national talent hunt organized by CCRT,New Delhi and a student of classical music since the age of 19 under Dr. K L Sehgal,Professor Harvinder Singh,Pt. Yashpaul,and Pt. R.C.S. Nadkarni,Uvie’s climbing the musical ladder slow and steady. “I believe that I have a god-gifted voice,and lots of people used to say that I sing well,so I got into it,” says Uvie,who started a bit late for he was in search of a guru. “I found one in Chandigarh from the Agra Gharana and took to classical singing,” it’s been more that ten years,and time has seen the boys move from Himachal to Chandigarh to Mumbai where he assisted music director Sajid – Wajid in Sonu Nigam’s Deewana,worked on Babul Suprio’s album Khoya Khoya Chand,movies like Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya,Baaghi,Hello Brother,Shararat,The Killer,Dreams,Mujhse Shaadi Karogi et al. “Apart from this,I released a couple of albums including K- Factor,Gori Teri Akhiyaan and the latest,Aa Bhi Ja,” tells Uvie,who,because of his rich experience mentored singers on Indian Idol 4 and Zee’s Ek Se Badhkar Ek ,Apoorva Agnihotri for Imagine’s Shava Shava and worked as a senior voice trainer with Sony TV. “Mentoring is all about training budding singers on their sargam,aakar,sur,alaap and diction. In all this,aakar is the key element for it makes the voice buland,consistent,opens it up,clears the tremors and makes it loud and strong,” for Uvie,riyaaz is a priority,what you eat or drink is secondary.

In the meantime,he’s looking forward to yet another Sallu film (he says it’s a karmic coincidence!),and Chhoti Si Asha in which the title track has been picturised on him. However,he feels that playback is not the only thing he wants to focus on. “I’m a versatile singer with a classical base and a huge voice range,hence,I would like do other things,make albums too for these give me the freedom to experiment and sing the way I want which is not the case with films.” In any case,he’s made it to the mecca of music,and it’s only a forward march from there!