SHAlINI SAKSENA speaks to budding artists who’ve got the perfect platform to showcase their talent
It’s a platform for budding singers — a talent management vertical called artist4forty. The name is derived from A440hz which denotes the perfect tuning pitch for a sound musical note. The aim of this platform, an initiative by Saaibaba Telefilms ltd, is to have a holistic development approach to mentor budding artists, thereby creating a talent pool of pitch perfection. A training structure is meant to not only improve vocal skills of the artist but also elevate them with a specially designed personality development programme, while building their career path.
“The idea is to give artists like us a stage to make a singing career. I won the Voice of Punjab but hit a dead end after that. But then I was chosen for this musical talent pool. I may have had the voice but what I lacked was the confidence and the knowhow of approaching music houses. There are so many singers out there. One has to stand out among them. This platform ensures that I not only get the guidance but also an opportunity to sing wherever a company takes us,” Pardeep Singh Sran says.
Had it not been for this raw talent pool, this 24-year-old singer would have continued to do small time singing in Bhatinda. This despite the fact that his father is a Punjabi folk singer. His love for singing came from his father and writing from his mother, who is a professor. The singer has now sung for composer Sachin Gupta to record Allah hu from the movie Dharam Sankat Mein.
Manjusheel Gujral, singer from Gujarat, is another case in point. “I was into heavy metal and had my band but things fell apart. I wanted to foray into singles but didn’t know how. This stage has not only given me an opportunity to sing my kind of songs, it has taught me how the system works. Today, I know the people and the people know me. I can walk into a music company with confidence and get their time, something that would not have been possible earlier,” Gujral points out.
Darshan Raval is a part of this pool too. All this 21-year-old knew before joining the platform was to sit at one place with his guitar and sing. Today, with singles like Ishq Chaddha Hai and Bollywood songs like Jab tum chaho from Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, he is on a roll. With no formal training in singing, the platform helped him propel his singing career.
“Now, I not only do live stage shows but have the freedom to release singles and get an opportunity to sing for films. Earlier, I would just sit in one place and didn't know how to sing to a live audience. Today, the way I dress, the way I conduct myself and do live performances has changed. I not only sing but also dance on live shows. This provides a connect between my songs and the listeners. Nothing can be better than this,” Raval says.
Needless to say, it would have taken him years to reach where he is today had it not been for this platform which taught him how to be a professional singer.