YouTube has irrevocably become a launch pad for millions of talented individuals. They tell Team Viva how not being a part of the mainstream industry does not bother them
If you are from the 80s and the 90s, you will fondly remember the likes of Alisha Chinnai, lucky Ali, Sonu Nigam, Shaan and Shibani Kashyap and so many amazing singers and bands who used to compose the most youthful and mesmerising numbers back in the day. And then came the year 2000 and suddenly ‘Indie Pop’ disappeared from the scene and Bollywood music started ruling the charts. A decade and a half later, we see a lot of young musicians, singers and artists, creating amazing music and sharing it with élan through YouTube, and in the process, giving the much loved indie pop a new lease of life.
The internet is crawling with singing talent. YouTube produces so many viral sensations on a periodic basis. The success of singers such as Adele, lily Allen, Susan Boyle and Psy were considerably boosted by the internet, where their performance videos were viewed in the millions and later lead to record signing deals and international celebrity status.
India has its own emerging group of online sensations who’ve built their following and reputation entirely online. Here’s a look at 5 Indian artists to watch out for on Youtube:
Siddharth Slathia
At the age of 10, he took interest in singing and gave auditions for the school annual day. His teacher, impressed by the quality of his voice, facilitated opportunities for him to to showcase his talent. Siddharth sang on All India Radio and local channels of Jammu, and also took part in many state and national level competitions.
Belonging to a non-musical family, he was sent to Jaipur to study engineering. His college did not offer a platform for singing but his friends and fellow students appreciated his singing and encouraged him to pursue a career in music. And Aamir Khan’s film 3 Idiots moved Siddharth to quit engineering and pursue music. “My parents were shocked and my father was upset and angry with my decision but my mother supported me. So I left the college and started learning Hindustani classical music from Pt Kundan Mal,” he shared.
Siddharth has also trained under Pt Bholanath Misra from Benaras gharana. He started uploading cover videos on YouTube in 2010 and soon became popular. Then came a point when he noticed that there were several covers and guitar tutorials of Bollywood songs on YouTube but not even a single person uploading vocal tutorials. So he started uploading vocal tutorials of popular Bollywood songs and tutorials on Indian Classical singing for beginners in 2013.
His tutorials started becoming really popular as they were one of a kind and were noticed by the Indian Idol Academy, which got him an opportunity to become the chief mentor at the academy in Kolkata. Siddharth’s singing has been appreciated by the likes of Sonu Nigam and Arijit Singh and music directors Salim-Suleiman.
Deepak Rathore
He is the founder of Swastik band. This computer engineer was always fond of music since and grew up listening to his mother and grandfather sing. He started composing and writing songs withTu jo nahin hai yaha and Man baware. His popularity is credited not only to his excellent compositions but also his enchanting voice. He has won over 10 band battles across India and shared stage with Agnee band, Euphoria, Gul Panag and more.
Amrit Maan
Amrit Maan, born in 1992 in Bathinda, is another name in the list of talented lyricists and singers on the Internet. An engineer by qualification, his chance foray into singing and songwriting has made him quite popular in a very short period of time. He has penned many hit songs like Jatt fire karda (sung by Diljit Dosanjh), Yaar jundi de (sung by Ammy Virk), Haan kargi (sung by Ammy Virk) to name a few. His vibrant voice and foot tapping music in songs like Desi da drum and Muchh te mashook have made him a name to be reckoned in the genre. Maan said, “Family played a really important role. Initially my parents were not very happy with my decision of selecting this profession. But after the release of Jatt fire karda they are very happy with my decision. My parents wanted me to become an engineer but destiny brought me to this profession.”
Gurnazar
Gurnazar live started playing as a band and his YouTube career began in 2012. Since its maiden performance, the band changed the music scene in Chandigarh and Punjab, from DJ only nights, to people opening up to live music performances. Gurnazar live also plays at social Events, college shows and corporate gatherings.
Amber Vashisht
His musical journey began while he was a kid. He started taking interest in music, listening to all genres. Music influenced him to an extent that he spent all of his play-time rehearsing his favorite tunes and uploading videos. His dream to be a playback singer flourished intensely when he was finishing high school. To be able to pursue music professionally, he pursued his bachelors degree in performing arts.
