Ann Fernandes - I Lent My Voice for the Title Track of 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' and Sung ‘The Kapil Sharma Show’ (Singer and Digital Creator From India)

I think formal training in music is very important to become a skilled and knowledgeable musician. Our music can make a powerful and influential impact on any listener. Training will only develop our natural voices and bring out the sound of our unique self. There are many musicians who are self-trained and have made it big, but I believe every musician should know the importance of music training.

1.Tell us more about your background and journey.

I, Ann Fernandes, am a 22 y/o Indian Singer born and raised in Mumbai. Coming from a Catholic family, I enjoyed singing Hymns and Worship songs as a child and was also in Church choirs. My parents loved listening to old western music and Bollywood music, so fortunately I was exposed to a huge variety of genres and learned to play the keyboard at a young age.

My music journey really began in 2018, when I participated in the Indian Reality TV show "India's Got Talent" S8 which won the hearts of the nation with the magical Musical Band, "The Live 100 Experience." In 2019, for the first time, I started learning Hindustani Classical Music under ‘Pandit Shri Banwari Lal Rao.’ In the same year, I scored my first Bollywood break as a Playback Singer for Hrithik Roshan's film, 'Super 30' with the song, "Niyam Ho" composed by Ajay Atul. The song was a massive hit and was termed as the “Super 30 Anthem” of the year.

I also lent my voice for the Title Track of the Reality TV show 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' and sung in shows like ‘The Kapil Sharma Show.’ And, pandemic happened! But my journey continued, I sang for an original song "Sacha Pyaar" and worked on my Social Media presence! I'm grateful for this short joyful and fruitful journey. I believe that the Universe has a lot more in store for me.

2. When did you first decide you wanted to pursue music and how did you start?

Because I've studied Advertising, I always thought I'd be an Illustrator or a Graphic Designer. I also love and enjoy cooking so much I wanted to be a Chef. But Universe had different plans, India's Got Talent happened and that’s when I decided I want to pursue music professionally.

3. Who is your favorite artist and why?

I don't necessarily have a favorite artist; I love exploring new music and new artists all the time. But the artist that inspires me the most is Shilpa Rao. I can connect to her voice and music in a magical and different way and she inspires me to be my unique self and follow my heart.

4. Can you throw some light on opportunities one gets as a singer?

As a singer, the opportunities and scope in Music are vast to anyone who is passionate about music. Especially in a culturally diverse country like India, where there are hundreds of languages and styles to sing in. Music is a far more economically stable field today as compared to our previous generations.

While there are many opportunities within music, a vocalist is one of the most important individuals involved. From Films to Independent Artists, Events to teaching, there's a lot of reaches!

5. Is format training required or can one train themselves purely on the basis of talent?

6. What piece of advice would you like to give to future and aspiring artists?

My only piece of advice for aspiring and future artists (which includes me as well) is to not get caught up in the numbers of likes and views of social media and manipulate your audience. Instead work on your talent, develop your skill every day and let your music do its magic. Listen to loads of music. Be grateful for every small progress and believe that you can do it!