From calling herself a bathroom singer to becoming the first Indian woman to win a Grammy, multi-lingual singer and lyricist Tanvi Shah shares the story behind her unexpected journey with Surabhi Jajodia
Singer Tanvi Shah would have continued to be an interior designer had not a friend recorded her song and sent it to AR Rahman. A self-proclaimed bathroom singer and a leisure hummer, she was stupefied when she got a call from him asking her to come by his studio. “Next thing I know was that I was singing for the film Yuva. Fanaa was my first song. Funnily, my official training started after that and I got my Western classical training .”
Shah believes that music is way above one’s knowledge of language or nationality. “Music is universal. No matter which language or genre, music brings together people from all over the world. If you are a singer, you need to be versatile and have the ability to sing in multiple languages, even if you don’t speak them. legendary singers like Asha Bhonsle and Sadhana Sargam can even sing in Tamil and other languages which they don’t necessarily know. The place where they are today is truly inspirational.”
Talking about her inspiration, Shah said, “Having studied abroad at George Washington University, I got an opportunity to interact with people from all over the world under the same roof. I got to learn about their culture, festivals and even food. My roommate, who was an Egyptian, and I tried to adapt each other’s traditions for a fresh sound. This way I picked up different genres of music and thought of giving it a shot. I don’t speak in all the languages I sing in. I do know a few but I love watching people speak in their own languages. I observe their expressions, movement and pronunciation closely which get me really interested in knowing more about different cultures.”
Shah also picked two of her most favourite songs which could lift her mood anytime. “There are two songs which are very close to my heart. One is Delhi 6 from the eponymous film. That was the time when we had started from scratch and had a fun time recording. It was when AR gave us that free hand and tried whatever we suggested. He is a very encouraging person who likes to give a shot to every idea we put forward. Another favourite is my song with Jay Hawk (producer), llamalo Amor, in English and Spanish. That was a big step for me as even today when the latin community listens to it, they say, ‘this is some latina singing the song’ and I am like-‘no, that’s me’. They do not believe me and that’s a big award.”
Being actively involved with the Cancer Institute and with the “End Polio” campaign of Rotary International along with Amitabh Bachan, A.R. Rahman and Anil Kapoor, she has donated her song, Zindagi, produced by Jay Hawk, to the “End Polio” campaign album that features international artistes such as Itzhak Perlman, David Sanborn, Ziggy Marley, Donovan and members of the Congolese band, Staff Benda Bilili. “I lost my grandmother to cancer. So, if there is anyone who asks me for any kind of help related to cancer, I am on my feet. I try and help as much as I can. Also, the ‘end polio’ campaign was something which was offered by a close friend. I was happy to help in the eradication drive. Also as an individual, it’s your responsibility to give back to society. If you are a celebrity and if you have the power to make the change, you must make it,” she said.
Even after being applauded across the globe, there is something Shah misses. “I am very happy with what I have done so far and I like surprises. I have no complaints about life. But I wish I had the time to do a little bit of designing.” That’s a passion which has been compromised. Currently, Shah is working on an album slated for a pre-Diwali release. “It’s based on my take on what I have done in the last couple of years.... chalking bits and pieces of my life and putting them together. I have tried mixing it with different genres and might also try out another language.”