I have always thanked Taraana and of course, Harshal for bringing music back into my life. I am humbled to think that my fellow Taraanaites are willing to listen to me for a whole month! Thank you all for this amazing opportunity. I don’t think I deserve to be a star, but most definitely am happy to share my stories and adventures in music with you.
I am originally from Kashmir, where I was born but left due to increasing violence in the valley in 1990. I was always very fond of listening to music, singing and entertaining as a child. However, it was difficult to gain exposure to any training as it was not really encouraged in our community even at the amateur level. I remember keeping all my aunts, uncles and cousins busy with my singing and dancing (perhaps even annoying) acts during weddings or parties. Come to think of it, things haven’t really changed all that much! Besides singing, I am very passionate about dance, pencil sketching and interior design.
I moved with my parents, Vijay and Nirja Munshi, to the USA at age 10 after being displaced from Kashmir. Music took a backseat (except at the occasional wedding sangeet, party and long car rides) to my studies. I finished my medical studies and residency training last year (2006) and got married to the most wonderful man, Sameer Khandhar, and am now living and working in Pittsburgh, PA. It is because of this city that I discovered Taraana. I took part in the April Taraana music competition and have been so happy to have music back in my life since!! I could not believe my eyes when I saw that there was a whole world of Hindi music lovers out there. It also gave me encouragement to not feel insecure about not having any formal training.
Who encouraged you to sing early on?
I believe Naintara didi was my first and biggest influence in liking and learning music. She is a younger sister of my mom’s and has the most wonderful and undiscovered voice in India! I remember running straight to her room when I was visiting my grandparents. She would sweep me off my feet and sing me Lata or Asha songs, dance with me and feed me my favorite aloo-dahi sabzi! Her father was also a huge influence as he collected, and still does, all kinds of music records. I also credit my mother with encouraging me to sing at gatherings and not being shy.
How encouraging is your family towards your pursuit of musical
interest? Does your spouse have hang-ups about your staring at the
"red screen" at every given opportunity? ;)
My parents and parents-in-law were very excited when they saw me participate in the Taraana competition. My mother-in-law, who happens to be an amazing singer herself, was very supportive of me pursuing music further. My parents-in-law surprised me with a Karaoke machine this April! And Sameer, my husband, has been extremely happy to see me pursuing my talent.
Can you describe in your words what good singing means ? And
what is the most important aspect of good singing, sur, taal,
diction, poetry, feelings, or sounding like the original singer?
Good singing to me means conveying a feeling or a message succinctly to the listener. You know the times when we get goose bumps on the backs of our neck or arms when listening to a song? THAT is good singing and great music. It’s indescribable.
Would you like to share some weaknesses of your singing and
your effort to improve them?
Like I mentioned earlier, I do not have formal training in music; so of course, I have many, many flaws; some that I may not even realize are there because of my lack of training. My voice tends to crack when I sing a high pitched song, but I have noticed that with daily practice, which is hard to do, singing gets smoother.
Do you think certain foods affect or help your singing?
I have not noticed any food related help or deterrence.
If at all, you get a chance to choose and sing with any
male/female Bollywood singer, who would that be? Why?
I would love to sing with Jagjit Singh as I am a big fan of his singing. I feel like words and music just flow out of his mouth with such ease.
Who do you style your singing after? If no one, then what do
you think is your singing style?
I don’t think I try to sing like any particular singer. Of course, when most people sing a song, it’s hard not to use some of the same intonations or “emotions”, but every singer is obviously different. If anything, I think my personality resembles Ashaji’s. I’m more of an upbeat person and I think so is Ashaji and you can really hear that in her singing. The best example of that is “Haule Haule Saajana”.
What aspects of Taraana.com made you decide to become
a member?
When I first logged on to Taraana.com, I immediately felt the camaraderie amongst the group. Though I was a novice, I felt very welcome and like part of a family. It encouraged me to start picking up the mic and recording songs.
If you have to suggest some improvements for Taraana.com what
would they be?
I would definitely like to see a rewind and pause button on the TKP!!
Do you record in a studio or home? What equipment do you use
for home recording?
I record at home. I have a simple microphone and headphones. Perhaps if and when I get more time away from the hospital, I will set up a nicer room for just recording. It would be nice to get a mixer as well.
Would you like to receive feedback in public (Taranaa
forum) or through private messages? What aspects should be
considered carefully while giving feedback in public?
Either way is fine.
Lastly, if you had a choice of choosing five new tracks for
Taranaa library what would they be?
I would love to see more ghazals added to the Taraana collection. My wish list
1. Honton Se Chu Lo Tum (Jagjit Singh)
2. Tumko Dekha to Yeh Khayal Aaya (Jagjit Singh)
3. Halka Halka Suroor Hai Saaqi (Chandan Das)
4. Mohe Panghat Pe Nandlal (Lata Mangeskar)
5. Saanwariya Saanwariya (Alka Yagnik, Swades)
