Melodious Shashaa Tirupati, whose song Vaada Vaada from the upcoming film Kochadaiyaan is creating a sensation, is not only a meticulous and very ambitious professional but is also blessed with a soulful voice. In an exclusive chat with Tellychakkar.com, Shashaa talks about are journey in the industry, life, hardships, her favourite singers and more. Read on... How does it feel to be part of film Kochadaiyaan? (Smiles) Vaada Vaada my song in the film is what I consider my first major break in Hindi playback singing and am ecstatic about it. While recording the song, I hadn’t the slightest idea that it was for Kochadaiyaan. To me, a film starring Rajinikanth and Deepika Padukone with its music composed by Rahman Sir in itself is a legendary one. Being a part of this movie made me feel tiny and special at the same time; tiny for the geniuses amidst whom I was working and special for the fact that they found me deserving for this project and the song in particular. Tell us about your experience working with AR Rahman? (Pauses) Well, Rahman Sir (AR Rahman) was a great treat to listen to, watch and work under. The best part about him is that he’s very patient and accommodating with his singers and is extremely clear about what he wants. It’s very rare to work with a person like him who is also an equally fabulous human being beside the maestro that he is. Tell us something about yourself? (Gives a thought) When I was just five, I started off singing old songs of Lataji and Mohd. Rafi sahab (I’m a diehard fan) on a local radio channel in Vancouver; the songs intricately selected by my parents. With very encouraging feedback and a growing demand from local residents and listeners, I then got myself enrolled in a temporary Indian classical class and choral music lessons, besides the ten odd other co-curricular activities that I was involved in. I feel proud to say that I started performing live when I was eight (have performed in over a thousand concerts till date). I was exposed to almost every known form of music back in Canada due to the multicultural community I was raised in. Be it Croatian, Pakistani, Afghani, Japanese, or African music, I was listening to and picking up tad bits of it all. Continue… However, it was when I heard Rahman Sir’s composition in Bombay that I started realizing where my heart’s inclination was in terms of modern Hindi music. Then his Dil Se and Vande Mataram made my heart flutter and stomach churn. And much later with the music of Guru I left home and made Mumbai my second abode with the further intent of one day making Chennai my third destination. My initial upbringing till about when I was of 10 was in Surrey, Canada, where my mother had migrated when I was barely a year old. My paternal grandfather had migrated to Canada back in the 70s. Though our roots lie in Kashmir, I’ve never lived there. I spent my teenage years in Allahabad, where I trained in Hindustani Classical music under the Late Mrs. Kamala Bose (Gurumaa) and simultaneously studied at St. Mary’s Convent School. Till that time, I’d taken part in over a hundred regional and national vocal classical and light classical competitions winning the Best Performer of the Year title in the Sangam Kala Group All India Music Competition 2002 out of 9000 contestants. Besides, I won the Sangeet Natak Academy Award thrice in a row. After about seven years of rigorous training with Gurumaa, and later having taken guidance from Padmashree Girija Devi Ji as well, I went back home to Canada to pursue higher studies. There I topped my 12th. I’m an MBA in Marketing Management and am currently pursuing my second MBA in Operations. I’m a professional swimmer and also a trained lifeguard. Wow…impressive. Now could you talk of your journey in this industry? After coming over to Mumbai in 2007, I participated in several reality shows. Simultaneously I started receiving opportunities to sing for films and also several television jingles and voiceovers (approximately 500 till date with leading national and international brands). While the ads helped me pay off my bills, (I hadn’t taken a penny from home), my playback singing brought me closer to realizing my goal of becoming a movie singer. I was blessed to meet the right people at the right time. In 2009, I sang my first song Rang De in Priyadarshan’s Bumm Bumm Bole (a remake of Children of Heaven) that starred Darsheel Safary. The music of the film was composed by Tapas Relia with whom I coincidentally also sung my first jingle Jawaan Hai Muhabbat for Anchor White that became a household hit. Post Bumm Bumm Bole, I sang for a host of other films including Turning 30, Yeh Stupid Pyar, Be Careful, Life Is Beautiful, Hostel, Jo Hum Chahein, Karle Pyar Karle to name a few. I also entered the regional film and solo album market with one of my Tamil film songs Oday Oday from the film Raja Rani (music by the very talented GV Prakash Kumar) becoming a chartbuster. Other regional films for which I’ve rendered songs include Nimirnthu Nil (Tamil), Janda Pai Kapiraju (Telugu), Pipaani (Marathi), Sojoni Amar Bondhu Re (Bengali), Ainwain Raula Pai Gaya (Punjabi), Tere Ishq Nachaya (Punjabi) and Coffee Aani Barach Kaahi (upcoming Marathi film). What kind of music do you like to listen? I listen to almost anything and everything as far as songs are concerned. This includes a wide plethora of musical genres, eras, languages, voices and sounds. While on one hand, I’ve grown up listening to a lot of blues/jazz/big band/swing/bebop, alternative jazz/ alternative pop, R&B and soul, songs of Madan Mohan, Naushaad sahab and SD Burman amuse me on the other. I love a lot of today’s music directors as well as well as whom I regularly follow and would be very excited to work with. This includes Amit Trivedi, Vishal Shekhar, Sachin-Jigar, Sajid-Wajid, Pritam Da and Sohail Sen. And my all time favourites have to be Mohammad Rafi sahab, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sahab and AR Rahman Sir. Your favourite singers? This is a tough question. I adore the singing of Rahman Sir (Tere Bina Besuadi, Vellai Pookal, Gurus of Peace, Vande Mataram, Dil Se, Rehna Tu and so many more). Other favourites would be Rafi sahib, Mehndi Hassan sahab, Chitra ji, Chinmayee and Kavita Krishnamurthy as far as Indian music is concerned and Leona Lewis, MJ and Bruno Mars internationally. Any hardship that you had to go through? Hardships are a part of the package that I believe every artiste passionately and somewhat knowingly, has to go through. In 2007 when I was 19, I’d decided to pack my bags and come to Mumbai for a career in playback singing. Here, I was a homeless stranger who was too proud to not take a penny from her parents. And believe me it took me three nights without a roof with a lot of luggage to find a den that I could call home. Nevertheless, it was that ordeal plus travelling by local trains and buses and having vada pav meals and walking for endless kilometers to save autorikshaw fare that gave the greatest satisfaction at the end of the day that I put up a struggle, and in the right direction; it helped me keep the fire burning. Initially, adjustment (to weather, culture, norms ‘fitting in’) was a constant issue but I’m very glad and lucky to have found the right people and to have made the most priceless of relations and friendships for life here in Mumbai! I feel I’m in my second house now. Any Bollywood actress that you think your voice will suit the best? I think I can adapt my voice to most Bollywood actresses today. I would love to sing for them all! I’m privileged to have been given the opportunity to sing for Deepika Padukone in Kochadaiyaan. If you had to choose a music era; which period would it be and why? It would be definitely be the 20s through the 50s … I feel I belong in the Jazz Age of the 1920’s America, the era of Louis Armstrong, Judy Garland in the Golden Age of Hollywood with films and soundtracks like Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz (Somewhere over the rainbow). Further amidst the big band and swing music styles through the 40s with Edith Piaf (La vie en rose) and Nat King Cole and finally into the 50s when the age of bebop, cool jazz and blues kicked in with artistes like Ella Fitzgerald, Chuck Berry, Nina Simone and Billie Holiday. The innocence in the lyrics, the fragility in the singing and the grand, endearing and heartwarming arrangements with dramatic strings and lightly brushed rhythms rule my heart… Bliss! Lastly any message for yours fans? Fans! Isn’t all this a little too soon for that? But yes, to all those who’ve appreciated and continue to appreciate and like my songs and singing, I wish to express my heartfelt thanks. I would also want them to maintain this light of love and prayers for my upcoming songs, albums and future ventures as well!