*Breaking the Stereotype - Tanvi Shah* Lending ones vocals to a duet with Sukhwinder Singh for company may sound like a daunting task to any junior singer. But one hearing of the Golden Globe winner track 'Jai Ho<http://www.planetradiocity.com/lyricsfinder/viewlyrics.php?lyricsid=23735>' from *Slumdog Millionaire*<http://www.planetradiocity.com/musicreporter/review.php?reviewid=185>and you know this isn't your regular wet-behind-the-ears singer.
She may not have more than five Bollywood tracks to her record, but Tanvi Shah makes it impossible to go unnoticed on that powerhouse number. Perhaps the comfort level with Rahman who gave her a break in Bollywood with *Yuva*<http://www.planetradiocity.com/lyricsfinder/songalbumlist.php?albumlist=Yuva&lyricsid=8151>helped. But more importantly, it's her keen interest in languages and world music that seems to have moulded her into an artist to look forward. In a conversation that has surprises galore, the refreshing artist shares with us the secret behind her various accents, the music that her band Zahrra believes in, how the 'Delhi 6' track came about and why she isn't insecure about sharing credit with other singers on her tracks. *Your title song from Delhi 6 is rocking the charts. What kind of preparation did you do for this song? *I didn't do any kind of preparation, but A R Rahman<http://www.planetradiocity.com/musicreporter/features.php?featuresid=163>had this tune in his mind. Once he shared the tune and lyrics with me, we just came up with the track. Basically, if he doesn't like anything, he asks his singers to meet his demands. Even with this song, he was always clear about what he wanted from all those who've sung the song – that's Blaaze, Benny Dayal, Vivienne, Claire and me. *How did you get your first offer from Rahman? *I met him through one of our common friends in the Tamil film industry during the making of Mani Ratnam's *Aayutha Ezhuthu*. That movie was later remade in Hindi as Yuva, and 'Fanaa' came to be my break as a playback singer. *Is it true that you sing in various languages? *Right from my childhood, I was eager to learn different languages. I am fluent in Arabic, Latin, Spanish, Roman and many other languages. And you will find that touch in *Delhi 6*<http://www.planetradiocity.com/musicreporter/review.php?reviewid=201>songs. *What made you choose to be a singer? *I have always been clear about what I want to do in my life and career. Since I had a good voice, I started training in music early on in life and was certain that I would have a career as a singer. Back then I wasn't sure if I'd become a playback singer, but while in college, I used to sing for bands. In fact, I have my own band called Zahrra. I guess if you are an artist, then nothing can stop you in presenting your art. A painter or poet never decides that he wants to be a painter or a poet; their art speaks for them. *Rahman<http://www.planetradiocity.com/musicreporter/features.php?featuresid=166>won the Golden Globe Award for 'Jai Ho' which also features you. What kind of brief were you given for this song? *That's an achievement for every Indian, and Rahman deserves it for sure. Almost 20 artists have lent their voices for the *Slumdog Millionaire*soundtrack, and yes, I'm one of the voices on the 'Jai Ho' track. After we won the award, our phones wouldn't stop ringing. And you may not believe this, but we were in Los Angeles when we got the award and even the locals there were singing this song! While we were recording this song, Rahman told us 'Just feel proud to be an Indian and sing this song'. We just sang the way Rahman wanted us to, and I guess Sukhwinder's voice on a Rahman composition rocked everyone! *In each of your songs, you manage to bring on this different accent, something very individual. How do you do that? *Even when I sing in say an African language in India, and even if just one of my listeners happens to be an African, I wouldn't want him to think that I don't have the right accent. That's why I have worked very hard on my language and accent. We have to practice a lot on that to get it right, especially when one is singing a in very different language like Arabic or Spanish. *Rahman uses numerous voices for a single track sometimes. Does it ever bother you that you may not be able to showcase your talent individually? *You are right in saying that uses many singers, but I don't think that undermines my identity. He likes experimenting and always comes up with new things. He has proved that he is the best musician of this generation, and people will remember him just like they remember Mohammad Rafi<http://www.planetradiocity.com/musicopedia/music_newupdatearticle.php?conid=1043>and Kishore Kumar. *Tell us about your experience of performing live in various countries. *When I got my fist offer to perform internationally, I was not sure whether I should take it up. But I thought of trying my luck and performed at the Birmingham Arena in the UK. Since the audiences and the crew members liked my voice, I got an opportunity to sing at Wembley (in the UK) and later in Sydney and Dubai as well. I think my voice has an accent similar to that of international artists and hence I got international projects. *What's your band Zahrra all about, and why haven't you tried to make it big? *We have worked really hard at bringing out world music by switching to Latin music, Afro-Cuban, Salsa, Rumba and many other genres. I'm not saying that Indi-pop or that kind of music is bad, but there are many other genres that are not famous in India. Zahrra comprises 13 people. Shiva and I founded the band. While I sing, he plays several instruments like the piano, drums and ghatam. Then there's Shyaam (pianist), Keith (bass guitarist), Fernandes and Parthi (guitarists) and Balaji, Arun and Allwyn who manage the electrical sounds. I am accompanied by Rachna, Sonia and Chandrika on the vocals. We prefer offering a variety of music to our listeners rather than bringing the band it the limelight. *Which was your first performance as a band? *We performed for the first time at IIT, Chennai. We are expecting the audiences to hurl rotten tomatoes at us! To be honest, even though the students weren't enjoying our performance early on, as we got immersed in our music, every one started enjoying it. We won the best band title there. It was one of the most memorable moments for us as a band. *If you had to pick, which song would you say has allowed you to prove your mettle as a singer? *My playback career started with 'Fanaa' (*Yuva*) and then I did Rang De Basanti, 'Pappu Can't Dance Saala<http://www.planetradiocity.com/musicreporter/viewwallpaper.php?cat=indian&subcat=Movies&page=170&big=800>', 'Jai Ho' and the latest is '*Delhi 6*<http://www.planetradiocity.com/musicreporter/viewwallpaper.php?cat=indian&subcat=Movies&page=108&big=800>'. Although I don't have too many songs to my credit, my work has always allowed me to prove myself. To pick one particular song is difficult, but I guess since Rahman selected me for 'Fanaa', that would have to be the one. http://www.planetradiocity.com/musicreporter/interview.php?interviewid=228&pgno=3 -- regards, Vithur
