Rising star

Tell us about your early training in music.
I always had an ear for music from childhood and started training very early. My mother was a first-class Radio Artiste,so I guess I inherited my passion for music from her and and it increased by my listening to her practise music. She was my first guru. Later,when she discovered my natural flair,she wanted to give me a strong classical base and took me to Bani Chakra. I am still training under Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan from ITCs Research Academy in Hindustani Classical music in the Kirana Gharana. Later,I obtained a first-class senior diploma from Prayag Sangeet Samiti,Allahabad. I was also awarded the Sangeet Bivakar from Bongiya Sangeet Parishad,Kolkata and was felicitated with a gold medal.

Which was your first public performance and first playback song?
My first public performance was at a very young age 8211; a bhajan recital at Kala Kunj. I felt on top of the world when the concert went off very well and I received a loud round of applause. My first playback for a film was for Master Moshai in Bengali directed by Abhijit Sen,son of Mumbai-based comedian Asit Sen. The first line went Ei gaan amaar holo guru oronaam,which means This song is my pronaam to my gurus. It was indeed my guru-dakshina to my esteemed gurus in music. I will never forget this song in my life.

You are a Bengali married to a Rajasthani. Is there any conflict between your personal and professional lives?
None,whatsoever. Without the support of my family,both from my mothers side and on that of my husbands and in-laws,I would not have been able to do what I have been doing. My first priority lies with my family. But this does not mean that I allow my professional commitments to take a backseat. It all depends on priority and time management. But this is relative to cooperation from the family and I have been lucky on that count.

You are now doing some Hindi albums as well. How did you come away from your classical roots?
When offers from music directors began to come in,I stepped into the world of light vocal music both in Hindi and Bengali. But my training and my riyaaz in classical music goes on. I am comfortable in both schools 8211; classical and light 8211; for my concerts. My first Hindi abum was Sajni with Shravanji of Nadeem-Shravan in which I had duets with Kumar Sanu,Sonu Niigaam and Udit Narayan. My Bengali debut album Anamika Swapno released in 2007 and won me the prestigious Kalakar award for the best Bengali debut album the following year. Terrey Liye is my latest Hindi album produced by Sagarika Music Company that is a compilation of eight Hindi songs ranging from Indian semi-classical to Salsa beats. The music arrangement by Ashok Raaj and the use of English in some songs add a cosmopolitan appeal to the album.

What qualities in your opinion are mandatory to sustain oneself in the cut-throat universe of light music in India?
Talent,commitment and hard work are the three most important qualities for any artiste trying to pursue a career in music. And today,we also need good packaging and marketing. There is always scope for improvement as an artiste should always be inspired to make better music. I would like to sing all kinds of songs from classical to Salsa to Folk. Melody has always been my forte and I am very fond of music that is melody-based. I like experimenting,so in my albums the songs range from semi-classical to Salsa to Sufi.

Do you have any icons in music?
I have idol-worshipped Lata Mangeshkar all my life and still do. I hear her way of rendering a song and try to imbibe her style. She is like Maa Saraswati to me and the ultimate singer. Madonna and Celine Dion as performers are a class apart.

Where do you see yourself five years from now?
In five years time,I hope to have at least five music albums and music videos to my credit that would be appreciated by a global audience. I would also like to get many national and international awards for my music and to have numerous songs in my repertoire and see myself as a globally-recognised artiste and performer.