Journalism of Courage
City based-singer Shweta Iyer likes to croon what comes naturally to her.
As a little kid going on long drives with her mother,Shweta Iyer would sit and sing the whole way. During one of these trips,her uncle paid close attention to her voice and suggested that she take vocal training. But Iyer was not going to let anyone tame her free-spirited singing. I could never really fit in with other children in the vocals class. I sing because it is natural to me. There was no way of modifying that,so I left the classes after a year, says 19-year-old Iyer,who has collaborated with city-based bands and performed at various venues in the city,including Vivanta by Taj,High Spirits,Hard Rock Cafe. On March 8,she will perform along with a band called Joint Family at a gig in Cafe 1730,Koregaon Park.
She will try her hand at medleys,with blues and Bollywood classics. The band has come up with amazing medleys that I will be singing. My favourite one is a blend of Elvis Presleys Trouble and old-time Hindi hit,Tum joh mil gaye ho, says Iyer,a student of media and communication at Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication. For three years,Iyer was the vocalist for a band called Overidden. After the band split,she went on to collaborate with other bands in the city.
Though she has no plans of making an album any time soon,Iyer is working on original compositions. I dont want to sing and record my songs behind a glass wall. Whatever I write and sing is for my audience. Its not just about singing,its about performing. The stage is where I live my dreams. she says.
The turning point in her career was when she met Rishi Rai,member of the well-known Pune-based band Silver. She bagged the opportunity to perform along with him at the New Years Eve gig at Vivanta by Taj in 2012. Performing with him polished my vocal skills, says Iyer. Her life might revolve around music,but Iyer does not play any instruments. I tried to learn the piano when I was a kid,but I did not want to give the exam. I picked up the guitar a few years ago,but that didnt work out either. My voice is my instrument, she says.
Joint Family will perform on March 8,at Cafe 1730,Koregaon Park,from 8 pm.
