Unnati Shah - Be Your Authentic True Self (Singer/songwriter | Performer with 29K+ followers)

 

I’ve always believed that artists need to create their own opportunities, to get bigger opportunities. It is what it is! 

1. Tell us more about your background and journey.

I come from a completely non-musical background. There are lawyers and businesswomen in my house yet somehow, I have a natural knack for music. I started singing very early.. ever since I can remember. I am trained in Hindustani semi-classical music and can play a couple of instruments. 

I always used to participate in my inter-school and inter-college music festivals and given that I studied at Mithibai College where I was surrounded by a lot of artists and tons of events and festivals happening all year round, that really shaped me as a performing artist. However, I started my career in music after graduating from college and it’s been a good 4 year journey now. 

I’ve had the honor and opportunity to work with the best talent in the country- from A R Rahman to Jubin Nautiyal, Darshan Raval, Badshah, Tanishk Bagchi, Amit Trivedi, Sachin Jigar and many more.

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

I decided to pursue music as a full-time career towards the end of my college graduation because I had already started working in the industry during that time. 

It started with me recording for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Ghoomar’ song from the film Padmavat, as a backing vocalist.

3. Who is your favorite artist and why?

My all-time favorite artist is Sunidhi Chauhan. She’s always been my biggest inspiration and my idol. Her versatility, range, performance skills, and vocal ability are something that we don’t get to see in artists often. 

She’s not just an amazing musician but a complete artist.

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

I’ve always believed that artists need to create their own opportunities, to get bigger opportunities. It is what it is! 

Why sit and wait for people to knock on your door with opportunities in today’s day and age where we have digital media to showcase our talents! Social media is the biggest platform for singers (and creators in general) to showcase their unique talent and build their own audience/community.

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

Formal training in any form of art is always helpful. If you’re a trained singer, you’ll understand the notes you’re singing and will probably have more range in terms of versatility to be able to sing more styles of songs. But it is not necessarily required for a singer to be trained, to be good. 

If you have the talent you can learn most things on the job and also from the internet, to be able to polish your craft with relentless practice and experiences along the way.

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

Keep working hard, stay consistent and disciplined, be your authentic true self, have as many life experiences as possible, and never fear failure.

7. Could you share a memorable experience or story behind one of your songs?

The first independent song that I wrote was actually me fidgeting around on GarageBand (a free iOS music application) during the lockdown! I randomly put down some chords on a loop and started humming the first tune that came to my mind. 

I immediately sent it to my vocal coach and a couple of friends and all of them seemed to really like it! That’s when I decided to make it an actual song and it is now available across all global platforms for people to listen to. Crazy, right?

ABOUT ME : 

• I am a singer-songwriter based in Mumbai, India. 
• I have had the privilege to share the stage with renowned artists like A. R. Rahman, Jubin Nautiyal, Badshah, Darshan Raval, Ankit Tiwari, Ash King, and many more. 
• I have participated in India’s first YouTube reality show named “ARRived” which aired on A.R. Rahman’s YouTube channel. 
• I usually sing in Hindi, and have lent my voice to Bollywood chartbusters like ‘Ghoomar’ from The Sanjay Leela Bhansali film “Padmavati” and ‘Bandeya Re Bandeya’ from the Ranveer Singh starer “Simba”.   
• My future aspirations include writing more indie music, global collaborations & growing my fanbase.

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Interviewed By - Priya

Edited By - Aarya Gode